ODM Secretary-General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has strongly criticised Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga over his recent remarks regarding the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying that Raila would have chosen compassion over hostility even in moments of provocation.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Sifuna described Kahiga as “easily the vilest of the bunch,” referring to the governor’s remarks that many Kenyans have condemned as insensitive and divisive.
Sifuna praised Raila’s enduring legacy of unity and forgiveness, urging Kenyans to uphold those values despite political differences.
“Baba taught us to always respond with love,” Sifuna wrote. “If he were still around, the next thing you would see is him having lunch with Kahiga,” he added, underscoring Raila’s unmatched ability to rise above personal and political grievances.
Governor Kahiga’s comments, made during a burial ceremony in Nyeri, have drawn widespread outrage. Speaking in Kikuyu, he reportedly suggested that Raila’s death was “God’s intervention” amid “confusion in heaven,” and implied that the Mt. Kenya region had been politically sidelined due to Raila’s alliance with President William Ruto. He went on to claim that divine power had “levelled the playing field” in national politics.
The remarks sparked an immediate backlash across the political divide.
The Council of Governors (CoG), led by Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, labelled Kahiga’s statements as reckless and unbecoming of a national leader. ODM Chairperson and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga condemned them as primitive and divisive, while UDA Chairperson and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire termed the remarks careless and disrespectful.
Raila Odinga’s sister, Ruth Odinga, also expressed her dismay, describing Kahiga’s comments as deeply shameful in a Facebook post.
The controversy continues to generate heated reactions online and within political circles, with many Kenyans calling for greater decorum and unity in honouring the legacy of the late Raila Odinga.
