Sifuna Intensifies Onslaught Against Ruto, Warns His Allies Against Overconfidence: "2022 Taught Me"
- Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna intensified his criticism of President William Ruto and his allies during a high-profile gathering in Kwale
- He warned the ruling camp against relying on what he termed misplaced confidence about their hold on power ahead of 2027
- Sifuna invoked Kenya’s past electoral shocks, pointing to a historic court ruling that once overturned a presidential victory
- Drawing lessons from 2022, he said Ruto’s team risked repeating the same costly mistakes once made by their rivals
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Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna has sustained his criticism of President William Ruto and his allies.
Source: UGC
The ODM secretary general warned Ruto and his allies against what he described as misplaced confidence about their grip on power ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Friday, August 15, during the Law Society of Kenya’s annual conference in Diani, Kwale county, Sifuna dismissed claims by Ruto’s allies that Kenya is immune to regime change once a sitting president seeks re-election.
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He said such narratives ignore Kenya’s unique democratic journey and the country’s history of electoral surprises.
"I have heard some political leaders claim that, you know, we are in Africa and that in Africa, it is very difficult to remove a sitting president who is looking for a second term. He forgets there are people like Lenaola, who made history by annulling a presidential election. Kenya is not like the rest of Africa," Sifuna told the lawyers.
His remarks were a direct reference to the landmark 2017 Supreme Court decision led by Justice Isaac Lenaola and others, which annulled retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory and forced a fresh election.
Sifuna said that the ruling proved Kenya was capable of charting its own democratic path without being confined to patterns seen in neighbouring countries.
"We want to remind these people that, on the day that Kenyans speak, on the day that Kenyans speak, all this bravado you see, the good thing with me," he added.
What was Sifuna, Azimio's mistake in 2022?
Sifuna said his confidence stemmed from lessons drawn from the 2022 election, when ODM leader Raila Odinga, despite enjoying the backing of Uhuru and a powerful political machinery, lost to Ruto.
He recalled how Azimio leaders then expressed the same overconfidence now being displayed by Ruto’s camp, only to be humbled by the will of voters.
"The good thing with me is I have the benefit of being in the exact same position they are in now. We were the ones making all those statements of bravado, deep state, and putting up brave faces. What the experience of 2022 taught me is that you, as the voters, are more powerful than these people," Sifuna said.
The senator urged Kenyans not to surrender their democratic voice, arguing that political elites often underestimate the strength of the ballot.
Source: Facebook
He said Ruto’s allies were repeating the mistakes of their opponents in 2022 by dismissing the electorate’s ability to alter political fortunes.
"We're being told we must be brave, we must be bold. Self-determination is like an existential fight for the very soul of this country. Self-determination is not an easy task. We must be bold," he added.
Why did Sifuna warn Kenyans about IEBC?
Earlier, Sifuna warned that recent missteps by the newly formed IEBC could signal attempts to manipulate the 2027 election results.
He cited two concerns. First, by-elections slated for November 27 exceed the constitutional 90-day limit, raising legal red flags.
Second, the nomination of Harold Kimuge Kipchumba to replace former MP John Mbadi violated rules by overlooking the correct nomination category.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
