The political landscape in Kenya shifted irrevocably in October 2025 when Raila Odinga, the veteran opposition leader and political titan, passed away. For decades, the “Baba” persona had been the gravitational center of Kenyan opposition politics, but now with that vacuum threatening to be filled by transactional alliances and fractured loyalties, a new figure has emerged with the defiant spirit of the old guard. Edwin Sifuna, the firebrand Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement, is not just filling Raila’s shoes but appears to be picking up the very torch Raila carried for a generation. 

The question on everyone’s mind is who truly inherits Raila’s political project, and according to veteran politician and Siaya Governor James Orengo, the answer might be Sifuna. Orengo, who was Raila’s ideological backbone for nearly five decades, recently cast his lot with Sifuna’s “Linda Mwananchi” wing, stating that Sifuna is fit to be the president of Kenya. This endorsement from the “Young Turk” who battled one-party rule is significant because it suggests that within ODM’s internal power struggle, Sifuna represents the ideological purity of the movement, the activism and street-fighting spirit that defined Raila’s career. Orengo’s dismissal of Raila’s elder brother, Dr. Oburu Oginga, as an heir because “he has never tasted tear gas, never stepped into a police station, never been detained,” effectively draws a line between lineage and legacy, framing Sifuna as the one who has paid the political price just as Raila did. 

Sifuna’s recent surge in popularity isn’t just about his title as ODM Secretary General but about his positioning, as he is leading the “Linda Mwananchi” faction which positions itself against the “Linda Ground” group that some perceive as willing to make sweetheart deals with the Kenya Kwanza government. This is where the continuation of Raila’s legacy becomes most visible because in life, Raila was the ultimate outsider, the man who protested against the high cost of living and stood up to the state. In 2023, Sifuna was at the frontlines of those protests, organizing demonstrations against the rising cost of flour and rent, breathing the tear gas that Orengo believes defines an authentic successor. As Orengo puts it, there is a recognition of Sifuna’s talent, and the push for him to run for president is a positive development. Sifuna’s refusal to bow to the allure of a Deputy President position, which Orengo famously dismissed as “fool’s gold,” cements this reputation because he represents the voice that says the fight is not about government appointments but about the plight of the common citizen. 

As the Kenya Kwanza administration, led by President William Ruto, moves into its term, the opposition is struggling to find its identity. While some ODM politicians have reportedly sought to join the government, Sifuna and his allies remain defiant, warning against any pre-election pact with President Ruto and calling it a “long con-game.” By opposing the Ruto administration in the absence of Raila, Sifuna is claiming the mantle of the loyal opposition, arguing that while ODM politicians may be part of the “broad-based” government on an individual basis, the party itself is not in government and remains the primary vehicle for holding the executive accountable. This echoes Raila’s own caution to his MPs before his death when he asked, “Who told you that ODM will not field a presidential candidate?” 

Edwin Sifuna is not Raila Odinga, but in the chaotic post-Baba era, he is the closest approximation, embodying the activism, the defiance, and the common-touch appeal that made Raila a legend. With the backing of stalwarts like James Orengo and a refusal to be co-opted by the Kenya Kwanza state, Sifuna is positioning himself as the undisputed heir to the resistance. Whether this momentum will translate into a successful 2027 presidential bid remains to be seen, but for now, the torch has been passed and the fight for the soul of ODM and the nation seems to have found its new standard-bearer.