Orange Democratic Movement Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has admitted that the party is struggling with internal confusion and mixed messaging, leaving both its members and the public unsure of its direction and values.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘The Explainer’ on Tuesday night, Sifuna expressed deep concern about the state of the party, saying the unity and clarity that once defined ODM have been lost.

He questioned whether the party still holds the same principles that it once stood for, citing growing contradictions within the leadership.

“Right now, there is a lot of confusion. I have told my party leader that there was a time when it was very easy to be the SG of ODM… You would wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me anything because we agreed that you can compromise on tactics, but you can never compromise on your values,” he said.

Sifuna admitted that he no longer has the confidence to speak authoritatively about the party’s stance on key issues such as devolution, civil liberties, and the right to protest.

He attributed this to disjointed communication and the fact that some ODM leaders have taken up roles in a rival political camp, further blurring the party’s position.

“There are things that ODM stands for. When you ask me my position on devolution or rights under Article 37, I would give you the answer straight away. But right now, there is a lot of confusion because I come to this show and I struggle to explain that we are the same political party,” he said.

“You see a member of ODM who used to be in a premier position, now he is the Cabinet Secretary, and it leaves our supporters very confused,” he added.

In a candid moment, Sifuna apologised to ODM members for the confusion, saying the leadership—including himself—had failed to maintain a clear and united voice.

“I want to apologise to members of ODM for all the confusion we as a leadership have caused, because it is very difficult right now to discern the position of ODM on major issues. And that is the biggest sadness—because it should be easy,” he said.

He warned that when members of ODM propose laws that go against its founding principles, the party risks losing its identity.

“When you hear a member of ODM proposing a bill saying, ‘Oh, we want to limit the rights under Article 37,’ what is ODM without Article 37? Without street protests? ODM is a movement that has been built on the strengths of the people,” he said.

Sifuna also revealed that he had declined to join a team meant to review the implementation of the controversial agreement between ODM and UDA.

He insisted that the pact was already dead and that there was no reason to continue engaging with it.

“There was a proposal to have a team to review the implementation of the MoU between UDA and ODM. I have asked respectfully to be left out of that team because I already declared this MoU dead. I am not a mortician,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Sifuna said he would not step down from his position just yet. He said he still believes in ODM’s ability to recover and reconnect with its roots.

“The reason I will not resign yet is that I have not given up. I have not given up on members of ODM, because ODM is a mass movement and has a registered membership of over 5 million people,” he said.

“On the day that I give up, I will tell you. I will say it publicly that I have lost the battle to rescue this party and to bring it back to where it was—and we will have lost collectively as members.”

He urged the party to return to its original principles and remember that its strength lies not in its elected leaders, but in the millions of ordinary Kenyans who believe in its cause.

“ODM has a total complement of about 160 elected MPs, but compare that to the 5 million in the grassroots. ODM as an institution has existed for more than 20 years, and you cannot just give up and quit,” Sifuna said.