Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has received a significant boost to her push for honesty and accountability within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after Sarah Elderkin, the longtime biographer of the late Raila Odinga, publicly backed her views.
Elderkin acknowledged Ruth as the sibling whose actions and principles most resemble Raila’s own political courage and consistency.
Ruth’s latest comments come at a time when ODM is dealing with serious internal disagreements about money, loyalty, and the party’s future after Raila Amollo’s death.
Much of the heat had been directed at the former Secretary‑General Edwin Sifuna, who questioned who was financing the expensive “Linda Ground” rallies before he was expelled from being the Secretary-General of ODM and replaced by Catherine Omanyo, the Woman Representative of Busia.
Ruth Odinga Defends Sifuna Amid Attacks From Within ODM
Ruth has defended Sifuna strongly and accused some party members of trying to silence anyone who raises genuine questions. In her Facebook post, she said:
“The last thing we should do, if we mean well for the Party, is to muffle the voices of people like Sifuna. If indeed he is a ‘rebel’, then how many times was Raila Odinga one? Even in the ‘nusu mkate’ government, Raila would still stand his ground.”
Also Read: Ruth Odinga Raises Alarm Over Secret Sponsor Pouring Millions Into ODM
According to Ruth, Sifuna simply asked the questions that many ODM members have been afraid to ask, and attacking him for it is both unfair and suspicious, especially since ODM has not paid for the costly rallies.
She also took on the group inside ODM pushing for a political deal with President William Ruto. Ruth questioned why they believed Ruto would honour any new agreement when, in her view, he had not lived up to the commitments he had already made after the Gen Z protests.
Challenging the faction, she calls the “Tutam choir,” Ruth asked:
“And for the ‘Tutam’ choir members in ODM, if President Ruto does not honor an agreement he signed with a man he said helped him steady a ship called Kenya that was sinking following the Gen-Z protests, how sure are you that he will honor the pre-election pact you are all talking about? Will he use a different signature?”
Ruth’s message has grown more relevant as ODM struggles with its identity after Raila Odinga’s death.
Party members, including the governor of Siaya, James Orengo, and Embakasi East Mp Babu Owino, are now openly acknowledging the very tensions she pointed to, the fear that the party is straying from Raila’s long-standing principles of transparency, internal democracy, and firm ideological grounding.
Ruth Challenges Push for a Pact With President Ruto
Ruth Odinga’s criticism of the Linda Ground rallies sparks questions inside the party.
Also Read: Tribunal Stops Sifuna’s Removal as ODM Secretary General
ODM is still owed billions in political party funding, yet the rallies look extremely well funded, with helicopters, huge tents, branded T-shirts, caps, and large, organized crowds. To Ruth, this doesn’t add up.
She says it shows that money is being pumped into ODM-related events, but not through the official ODM accounts. This, she argued, raises serious concerns about outside influence and who is controlling what happens at these rallies. As she put it:
“According to SG Sifuna, ODM is owed a staggering Sh. 12 billion by the government. This is a constitutional requirement based on the strength of the political party. The government has the option of releasing the funds to the Party, but when that happens, they will lack control.”
Elderkin’s Support Strengthens Ruth’s Stand
Sarah Elderkin’s defence of Ruth Odinga has only strengthened her position on ODM.
Elderkin, one of the people who knew Raila’s political philosophy best, has pointed out that Ruth’s stance is grounded in decades of political courage.
Sarah reminded Kenyans of Ruth’s past, including the 1992 Lang’ata standoff where Ruth stood firm against intimidation, a moment Elderkin described as “ground-tested defiance.”
Elderkin calls her “brave” and “principled,” adding that Ruth never lost her fighting spirit, even after years in exile while Raila was detained.
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