By Ruth Sang
Nairobi Senator and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has launched a scathing attack on the government, declaring the party's cooperation agreement with President William Ruto's administration “useless” in the wake of serious human rights violations.
Speaking at a press briefing in Nairobi on Saturday, Sifuna condemned the recent abduction and death of Homa Bay-based blogger Albert Ojwang, who was reportedly seized by plainclothes officers on June 7 and later died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody.
“That MoU between ODM and the government is of no use as I speak today. It is useless. A young man is picked from his home, taken to Nairobi, and killed in a police cell,” Sifuna stated, visibly angered.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in March 2025, was intended to promote bipartisan cooperation and uphold civil liberties and national unity following Kenya’s divisive 2022 and 2023 election cycles. However, Sifuna said recent events have rendered the pact “meaningless,” citing growing incidents of police brutality and state-sponsored abductions.
“How can we talk of cooperation when citizens are being abducted and killed without accountability? This government has no regard for the lives of Kenyans,” he added.
A postmortem on Ojwang’s body revealed injuries inconsistent with the official police report, which had alleged that the blogger had harmed himself while in custody. The revelation has sparked national outcry, with human rights organizations and opposition leaders demanding a transparent investigation and justice for the victim’s family.
Sifuna further referenced other disturbing incidents, including reported cases of torture and dismemberment of suspects in Nakuru, which he claimed demonstrate a disturbing pattern of abuse by security forces.
“We were told this agreement would guarantee justice and an end to police brutality. Instead, people are disappearing and dying in cells. We cannot remain silent,” said the senator.
The ODM-UDA agreement had initially been celebrated as a bold step toward unity and political maturity. However, Sifuna’s harsh remarks appear to mark a turning point in the opposition party’s posture, raising questions about the sustainability of the cooperation pact.
“We cannot legitimize a regime that kills its own people. If this is what cooperation looks like, then we want none of it,” he said firmly.
As of publication, the government has yet to issue an official response to either the allegations surrounding Ojwang’s death or Sifuna’s stinging rebuke.
The incident is expected to intensify scrutiny on the state of human rights in Kenya and may re-ignite debate on police reforms, accountability, and the role of political agreements in safeguarding democratic values.
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