Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been removed from the Senate Energy Committee following a reorganization of committee memberships approved by the Senate. The changes, announced by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, affect several standing committees and are part of what he described as routine adjustments proposed through the Senate Business Committee. Under the new arrangement, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang has been nominated to take Sifuna’s position in the Energy Committee, which is chaired by Siaya Senator and ODM leader Oburu Oginga.
The reshuffle also saw Garissa Senator Abdul Mohamed Haji join the Energy Committee, replacing nominated Senator Beatrice Akinyi Ogolla. In another change, Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu was appointed to the Senate Committee on Information, Communication and Technology, taking over from Ogolla.
Ogolla has meanwhile been reassigned to the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Committee, replacing Kajwang following his move to the Energy Committee. While communicating the changes to the House, Cheruiyot said the adjustments were made in accordance with Senate Standing Orders governing committee membership and operations.
Despite his removal from the Energy Committee, Sifuna will continue serving in two other influential Senate committees. These include the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Kajwang, and the Senate National Security, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee under the leadership of Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo.
The committee reshuffle comes at a time when internal divisions within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) continue to play out publicly. Sifuna has been associated with the Linda Mwananchi faction, which has maintained opposition to the broad-based political arrangement involving President William Ruto’s administration. On the other side is the Linda Ground faction, linked to ODM leader Oburu Oginga.
In recent months, Sifuna has faced mounting political pressure within the party, including attempts to remove him from his position as ODM Secretary General. The party had announced plans to replace him with Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo, but the move was temporarily halted after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) intervened and suspended the decision pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The latest committee changes are likely to fuel further debate about the ongoing power struggles within ODM and the broader political realignments taking shape ahead of future political contests. While Senate leadership maintains that the reshuffle is routine, political observers are expected to closely watch its implications for Sifuna’s standing within the party and his role in national politics.
