Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi have been removed from two prominent Senate oversight committees as part of a wider reshuffle linked to internal tensions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Sifuna was moved from the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) to the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Osotsi, meanwhile, was transferred from the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPISFC) to the Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration.
These changes come amid increasing factionalism within ODM, following the emergence of the Linda Mwananchi movement, a splinter group critical of the party’s current leadership and its alliance with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Committee Replacements
- Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo takes over Sifuna’s seat on CPAC.
- Nominated Senator Joseph Githuku also joins CPAC.
- Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma replaces Osotsi on CPISFC.
- Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian joins CPISFC alongside Mwaruma.
Both Sifuna and Osotsi have played central roles in the Linda Mwananchi movement, which has organized rallies nationwide and positioned itself as an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 General Election. Sifuna, previously ODM Secretary-General, has been leading the faction’s mobilisation efforts, while Osotsi also lost his position as Deputy Party Leader within ODM.
The CPAC and CPISFC are vital Senate committees tasked with overseeing county financial management, including reviewing Auditor-General reports and holding governors accountable for public fund utilisation.
This reshuffle follows closely after Sifuna’s removal as ODM’s Minority Whip in the Senate, reflecting deepening rifts within the party as it prepares for upcoming elections.
