The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has pledged to remain loyal to Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka and other politicians he considers to have been genuine allies of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Sifuna described Kalonzo and Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua as among Raila’s closest political partners, highlighting their support for the former Prime Minister across several presidential election campaigns.
Speaking during a meeting with residents in Kitui, Sifuna also endorsed Wambua’s bid to succeed as the county’s governor.
Sifuna said his ties with Raila’s political allies would remain intact despite pressure from some quarters for him and other politicians to distance themselves from the former Prime Minister’s network.
He recalled his frequent visits to Kitui through Wambua and expressed his support for the senator’s gubernatorial ambitions.
“I have been to Kitui County many times courtesy of Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua. I pray to God that he goes before you in the journey you have started now. I pray that you fulfil your goal of becoming the Kitui Governor,” Sifuna said.
He maintained that he would not abandon politicians who stood by Raila, particularly Kalonzo and Wambua.
According to Sifuna, Kalonzo remained a key ally of Raila after supporting him during the 2013, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.
He questioned why politicians should suddenly be expected to cut ties with Kalonzo after years of working together.
“There are some people who are telling us that we should forget Raila’s true friends. Kalonzo walked with Raila in 2013, 2017 and 2022,” Sifuna said, arguing that their long-standing political partnership should not be discarded.
The Nairobi senator added that some of his disagreements within ODM were linked to his insistence on maintaining relationships with politicians who had been close to Raila.
“The main problem between me and the ODM is that I said I know who the true friends of Raila were, and we are not leaving soon,” he said.
Sifuna’s remarks come after Kalonzo indicated that he would be open to having the Nairobi senator serve as his running mate in the next General Election.
Speaking during an interview with NTV on Monday, Kalonzo said his willingness to work with Sifuna was influenced by the opposition’s shared objective of defeating President William Ruto.
He expressed confidence that a united opposition could secure more than 70 per cent of the vote in the election.
“I have no problem deputising Sifuna, but you must take into account Kenya’s demographics,” Kalonzo said.
