Going by last weekend’s pronouncements by ODM through Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, several realities can be deciphered. It is obvious he is a sheep being fattened for imminent slaughter.

That Sifuna played along brings out the Kenyan politician in him. Our tough-talker is also a survivor. It has become obvious that Sifuna is a Martin Shikuku, not a Masinde Muliro. He is Raila Odinga not Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. A Munyua Waiyaki not a Bildad Kaggia. The point is: The survivor instinct in Edwin Sifuna is strong enough for him to serve both the Devil and God.

A morally upright Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party would have at the very least given an ultimatum to President William Ruto government to shape up or face divorce. In truth, United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) crimes so far qualify it for all manner of punishment, the most obvious being resignation from power. Indisputably, a killer regime. ODM ignored this.

It is not outrageous to say that ODM is irreversibly compromised upto 2027 and beyond. The deal was fully settled by the Ruto administration. For the uninitiated, Raila worships money and Ruto paid him handsomely to silence him. Raila sees nothing, hears nothing, feels nothing and won’t say anything. As a matter of fact, he is the angel that dines with the Devil for a piece of silver.

ODM is determined to satisfy its end of the bargain. Raila did it with President Daniel arap Moi, he did it with Mwai Kibaki for the Nusu-Mkate (Government of National Unity) deal after deliberately losing to Uhuru Kenyatta he clandestinely negotiated the “handshake deal” that locked out his allies in NASA (National Super Alliance) coalition. He is now in the broad-based government and he is on roll.

In cutting all these deals, the ODM leader rakes in roads of money several times more than a president and a deputy president together earn in one term. It pays to be a “professional opposition leader”.

The smart ODM leadership is planning to do to Sifuna what they did to me. After committing the treasonous crime of kicking out executive director Lagat Magerer from his position, they postponed my sacking to an opportune time. Sifuna’s portfolio redefinition will be made in October at the delegates’ conference after party elections.

He will be anything else but secretary general. He needs prayers to be ODM senatorial candidate for Nairobi. A lesson or two from Tim Wanyonyi may help: relocate to Bungoma or do a Babu Owino? Raila has a habit of using and dumping Luhyias, whom he regards as a doormat to power.

After using Wanyonyi to get the Luhyia support in Nairobi, he duped him into dropping out of the Nairobi gubernatorial race in 2022. Baba and his wife Ida had even the audacity to ridicule Wanyonyi as a cripple who should not be governor of Kenya’s capital city. Wanyonyi is now planning to run for Bungoma gubernatorial seat, in western Kenya, in 2027.

On matters violations by the government, ODM will continue providing hypocritical lip-service on major issues. This way it will be diluting the opposition’s punching power. There are reminds all over. However, ODM has not pushed hard on extrajudicial killings, disappearances, multibillion shilling questionable contract entered by the Ruto regime. Plunder of public resources makes no sense to ODM leadership as long as its personal and family interests are taken care of.

Despite agreeing to play team at the party leaders meeting in Kakamega, It is realistic to expect Sifuna to continue punching with the opposition without assisting in initiating remedial measures to government malpractices. He is in effect, just a talking head.

Whatever ODM decides to do in 2027 General Election, it will be a joint strategy with ODM – that is, outrightly support Ruto or split the opposition vote by fielding a presidential candidate.

Despite its size, longevity and past credibility, ODM is currently an enemy of forces of change and continues demonstrating the determination to remain so.

In terms of national values, there is nothing you can single out that ODM holds dear except the hypocritical and cosmetic devolution.

• A Tell Media / By Wafula Buke – Ex-detainee and former ODM Director of Political Affairs and Strategy. The commentary has been edited for context and clarity