After Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna publicly criticized President William Ruto for the horrifying crackdown on Butere Girls High School and the government's increasing intolerance of truth expressed via art, Kenyan politics took yet another sharp turn. In her outspoken public speech, Sifuna did not mince words when she accused the president of using the state apparatus as a weapon to suppress young, penalize creativity, and break the spirit of the handshake that once promised inclusivity, unity, and national reconciliation.
Sifuna, a key figure in the ODM party and an unapologetic voice of the people, tore into the regime for its blatant oppression and hypocrisy. “When schoolgirls with scripts are treated like enemies of the state, we must ask ourselves — who is the real threat to democracy?” he said to thunderous applause. The senator went further, blasting the administration for failing to uphold the spirit of the handshake, which many Kenyans had hoped would usher in a new era of political maturity and people-first governance.
However, Ruto is apparently furious. The president has threatened Sifuna with disciplinary action, according to inside sources, even recommending that he be expelled from ODM. Many people find this to be ironic given ODM's core values of justice and free speech. Could this be the start of severe political repercussions? Is Sifuna putting himself up as the face of a new rebel organization? Without question, the storm has only just begun to intensify. Not just an ego battle, but a fight for the very fabric of Kenyan democracy is taking place, so pay close attention.
