Sifuna: Raila-Ruto deal missed March 7 deadline
Politics
By
Irene Githinji
| Mar 09, 2026
Linda Mwananchi team led by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna at Mukuyu in Kaiti, Makueni County, on March 8, 2026. [Courtesy, Standard]
Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna insists March 7 was the deadline to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that established the 10-point reform agenda and put the Broad Based government in place.
On Sunday, Sifuna reiterated the MoU signed between Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on March 7 last year has now ceased to exist, noting that the only person who would have extended it further is late former party leader, Raila Odinga.
According to Sifuna, the agreement was that by the the end of the day March 7, the committee should have given the country a comprehensive framework of implementation of the two-thirds gender rule.
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Sifuna said the Linda Mwananchi team will give their report on Wednesday about how the MoU signed by Raila and President William Ruto has not been implemented.
“Yesterday, the committee led by Agnes Zani was expected to give a report to the country. That was the initial agreement but they were not able to deliver. They are still disrespecting Raila and have now changed that. They are now saying they will give a report on Tuesday. We do not want stories. We want you to give us a framework,” said Sifuna after attending the Sunday service at African Inland Church (AIC) in Kaiti, Makueni county.
The Nairobi senator said the agreement expressly provided that the practice of arbitrarily arresting young people be put to an immediate end. But instead, he noted, over 20 people have lost their lives and also cases of abduction have been on the rise since the deal was signed,.
“My work now has come to an end because I was the ‘prefect’ to ensure that the agreement was followed to the letter. We will give our own report on Wednesday to tell Kenyans that no work was ever done and we do not want further consultations. If they cannot respect the agreement that Raila signed, will they respect any other signature?” he wondered.
Sifuna said he has had a difficult time in ODM because of standing with the truth and insisting on Raila’s firm stance.
“They waited for Raila to pass on and they are now faulting former President Uhuru Kenyatta. They want to send away Raila’s friends yet he facilitated the campaigns back then. Even if they send me away, I will still remain Raila’s and the people's Secretary General. He left me in that position and I will not be intimidated,” Sifuna said.
On his part, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino lashed out at the government saying they campaigned with humility and promised people a changed country but nothing is working any longer.
The Kenya Kwanza alliance and ODM are expected to hold a joint parliamentary group on Tuesday to receive and review the 10-point agenda report signed between the two parties last year.
The meeting comes amid criticism from a section of ODM members who say it departs from the spirit of the original agreement.
In January, the committee tasked with overseeing implementation of the 10-point agenda and NADCO report (COIN-10) had to defend itself against claims that they do not have the political goodwill and funds to undertake the task.
Members of the committee fought off claims of ‘being idle’ and 'lack of political goodwill' and explained that they have had meetings with government Ministries, State departments, government agencies, constitutional commissions, human rights bodies and civil society organisations and are kick starting the public participation process.
This came against the backdrop of accusations of little progress since its establishment months earlier, sparking political scepticism on the committee’s ability to deliver its report.
Reports also indicated that the committee did not have proper facilities to undertake the task, in addition to facing funding challenges and political goodwill to undertake the mandate.