The Omanyo accuses Sifuna of sending Kibwana to mock her education, and it’s turned the fresh ODM leadership shake-up into a full-blown public spat that’s got Kenyans glued to their phones.
Just two days after the party brass in Mombasa voted to boot out Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General, Catherine Omanyo stepped into the acting role and wasted no time hitting back at what she sees as dirty tricks from her predecessor. She didn’t whisper it either.
Speaking during a coastal tour in Kilifi and Lamu, the Busia Woman Representative laid it all out. Sifuna, she claimed, had roped in former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana to take a cheap shot at her. The target? Her struggle to pronounce “constitutionalism” during her very first official statement as the new acting SG.
It started with a social media post from Kibwana on Wednesday night. He didn’t name her directly, but the timing and the jab were impossible to miss. After Omanyo read out the NEC resolution removing Sifuna, she stumbled a bit on that long word.
Kibwana pounced online, questioning if someone who trips over basic party lingo should be running the show. For Omanyo, that wasn’t random criticism. It was orchestrated.
“Sifuna sent Professor Kibwana to insult me, to say I am not educated,” she fired back in a clip that’s been shared thousands of times. Her voice carried real edge. She went further, talking about her tough upbringing.
“My father died when I was young. I educated myself through a lot of hardship.” Then she threw in another name—someone she says called her a “chokora,” the Swahili word for street kid. The message was clear: this wasn’t just about one awkward moment. It was personal.
Kibwana pushed back quickly. He denied any instructions from Sifuna. In a follow-up post, he even took a broader swipe, suggesting the “real ODM” might now sit with the group sticking by the ousted senator.
“If my words hurt anyone, I apologise,” he added, but the damage was done. The exchange has lit up timelines, with supporters on both sides piling in.
This all kicked off on February 11 during that marathon NEC meeting in Mombasa. Party leaders cited Sifuna’s alleged disloyalty and rule-breaking as the reason for his sudden exit.
They named Omanyo, who was already deputy SG, to hold the fort until the full National Delegates Conference picks someone permanent. Sifuna wasn’t having it.
He called the whole process illegal, showed up at a press conference the next day insisting he’s still the elected SG, and rushed to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal. The tribunal slapped a temporary block on his removal, buying him some breathing room.
But the drama didn’t pause. Omanyo, now out on the road doing party work, used the platform to defend herself and the decision. She reminded everyone that Sifuna had been warned before.
“He pretended to be close to Baba,” she said, referring to Raila Odinga, “but he was moving in pretence.” Her point: the party moves on, with or without him.
Online, it’s been a circus. X is packed with clips of Omanyo’s speech, memes about the pronunciation slip, and hot takes on who’s really pulling strings in ODM. Some users side with her, calling the attack low and sexist.
“A woman rises up and they go for her background? Classic,” one popular post read. Others back Sifuna and Kibwana, arguing the party needs sharp, educated voices at the top. “This is why we lose elections,” another wrote. The divide shows how personal these party fights get.
Sifuna built a reputation as a fiery, independent voice. Some loved that. Others saw it as stepping on toes. His removal, pushed through despite earlier reports of internal resistance, has left scars.
Omanyo isn’t new to the game. As Busia Woman Rep, she’s known for straight talk and grassroots work. Taking the SG role puts her front and center at a time when the party is trying to regroup.
Her response to the mockery shows she’s not one to back down. In one moment, she even turned the tables: “Even if I wasn’t schooled, ODM is my home.”
Sifuna’s camp, meanwhile, is digging in. The tribunal order means the legal fight could drag on, keeping the uncertainty alive. Supporters argue the NEC overstepped and that true party democracy got sidelined.
For ordinary Kenyans watching from the sidelines, it’s another chapter in the never-ending ODM soap opera. One day the party’s united against the government, the next it’s tearing itself apart over who gets the big office. With elections still years away, these rifts could either strengthen the outfit or leave it fractured when it matters most.
As the dust settles—or doesn’t—the accusation from Omanyo adds a bitter personal layer to what was already a messy transition. Whether Kibwana was truly “sent” or just jumped in on his own, the episode highlights how quickly things turn ugly in Kenyan politics. For now, the acting SG is holding her ground, Sifuna is fighting back through the courts, and everyone else is grabbing popcorn.
The real test will come at the delegates conference. Until then, expect more fireworks. ODM’s internal battles rarely stay quiet, and this one has all the ingredients to keep trending for weeks.
