The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has maintained that he was unaware of the source of funds financing the party’s Linda Ground campaigns, asserting that the funds do not originate from the party coffers.
Sifuna who was speaking during a televised interview, clarified that as a signatory to the bank, neither he nor the party treasurer has signed any withdrawal to finance the rallies.
He stated that the last funds they approved were used during the ODM’s 20th anniversary celebrations in Mombasa County in November last year.
“The money you see being spent in ODM rallies is not coming from ODM headquarters; there is parallel funding for activities clothed in ODM colours,” Sifuna said.
“Forget this rubbish you hear people saying here. Timothy Bosire, the Treasurer, is also a signatory to the bank accounts, and the last money we expended as ODM officially was for the celebrations in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what we saw there,” he added.
ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga launched the Linda Ground rallies in Kamukunji, Kibra Constituency, attended by several Party leaders. Similar rallies have been held in Kakamega, Busia, Kisumu and Kisii counties, as part of efforts to strengthen the party and consult members ahead of negotiations with President Ruto’s UDA party.
However, Senator Sifuna distanced himself from the rallies saying that he has never received any invitation from the organisers.
“There is no requirement on the SG to attend all those rallies. The party leader has the freedom to be able to consult party members to meet delegates in the counties. If he asks me to join him, I will join him,” the Nairobi Senator said.
“I require to be involved to have information about where we are going tomorrow. I was not involved, I was not invited, and I was not informed. I saw them on the media the way that you saw them.”
Sifuna also castigated the manner in which Oburu Oginga was installed as party leader, asserting that it was rushed and did not follow the provisions of the party constitution.
“The installation of Oburu Oginga as interim party leader was not procedural in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. What I would have advised had I been in that meeting is allow one of the deputies to act for one month and in 3 months’ time, call for a special NDC and do it procedurally and properly,” he stated.
