Makau: Oburu is Wise Man, He has Given Sifuna, Babu Adequate Due Process To Prove They Belong To ODM

Constitutional law expert Prof. Makau Mutua has lauded ODM leader Senator Oburu Oginga for adopting a measured, procedurally-grounded approach to managing internal party conflicts, characterizing the senior politician as a "wise man" who has provided embattled party members adequate due process rather than resorting to arbitrary expulsion.

Mutua's endorsement underscores contrasting leadership philosophies within the fractious ODM party as it navigates its most turbulent period since former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's death in October 2025.

Mutua praised Oburu's restraint in handling controversial figures including Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who have mounted spirited challenges to the party leadership's broad-based alliance with President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration.

Rather than immediately removing dissenting voices, Mutua noted that Oburu has strategically extended procedural leeway—allowing these figures to demonstrate their continued relevance or expose their political vulnerabilities through their own actions.

"He has given some of young dudes within the Party Sifuna, Babu and others a long rope to hang themselves," Mutua stated, suggesting that Oburu's calculated forbearance reflects political maturity rather than weakness.

The phrase "long rope to hang themselves" indicates Oburu's confidence that given sufficient latitude, critics will ultimately discredit themselves through their own choices and conduct.

ODM has fractured into competing factions, with Sifuna and Babu Owino leading the "Linda Mwananchi" faction opposing Oburu's "Linda Ground" faction, with both sides maintaining parallel conventions and contesting the legitimacy of rival leadership structures.

Yet Oburu has clarified that Sifuna was only ousted from the position of secretary general but remained an active member of ODM, noting that Sifuna was punished for indiscipline rather than expelled from the party.

Mutua's characterization suggests that Oburu's procedural approach—maintaining institutional discipline while preserving party membership—reflects constitutional sophistication and political wisdom during an institutionally precarious moment for Kenya's largest opposition formation.