ODM Secretary-General Questions Effectiveness of Opposition Members in Ruto’s New Cabinet
Edwin Sifuna, the Secretary-General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has raised concerns about the potential effectiveness of the four opposition members nominated by President William Ruto for his cabinet.
In the latest round of CS nominations, President Ruto appointed John Mbadi to Treasury, Opiyo Wandayi to Energy, Ali Hassan Joho to Mining and the Blue Economy, and Wycliffe Oparanya to Cooperatives.
During a panel discussion on Daybreak, Sifuna questioned whether this strategy would succeed if the cabinet members did not share the same ideologies and policies.
He specifically inquired if Mbadi, the Treasury nominee, could effectively implement President Ruto’s bottom-up manifesto, which faced significant opposition criticism during the campaign.
Sifuna clarified that ODM had not discussed joining the government and that the four nominees would be serving in their capacities. He emphasized that these members did not have the party’s endorsement.
Sifuna remarked, “Mbadi lacks understanding of the bottom-up approach since he is with ODM. We needed prior discussions to outline priority areas.”
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He added, “ODM’s priorities remain unchanged. As a pro-people party, our focus would be to reverse all current government taxes. Can John Mbadi achieve this without a framework or conversation?”
The ODM Secretary-General also expressed his dismay at President Ruto’s decision to reappoint many former CSs, questioning the potential impact of the new nominees in Ruto’s administration.
“I feel disheartened for John Mbadi, a respected individual, and doubt his ability to influence President Ruto’s government due to his minority status,” Sifuna commented.
He further noted his astonishment at the reappointment of the same officials and expressed skepticism about engaging with them on issues such as police reform and accountability.
The four opposition members will need to resign from their current elective positions to accept their new cabinet roles.
ODM Secretary-General Questions Effectiveness of Opposition Members in Ruto’s New Cabinet
