Edwin Sifuna: The Rise of Kenya's Village Boy Who Arrived in Nairobi with His Own Bed

Edwin Sifuna: The Rise of Kenya's Village Boy Who Arrived in Nairobi with His Own Bed

Edwin Watenya Sifuna was born at St Mary's Hospital in Mumias in 1982 and raised in Kanduyi constituency, Bungoma County

Sifuna's parents are retired career civil servants: his mother, a revered teacher and his father, a respected municipal officer who commanded respect and influence in Western Kenya.

His uncle, Lawrence Sifuna, was the most prominent figure in the family thanks to his political activism, which propelled him to the pinnacle of the country's political scene

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Nairobi senator Ed?wi?n Sifuna cuts the image of a combative and aggressive politician who takes no prisoners, whether on the floor of the Senate, in public rallies or in TV interviews. He is unapologetic and unfazed even in the face of intimidation. Whenever advancing a cause he believes in, he does so ferociously like a wounded lion. He hardly falters, stammers, or surrenders once he takes a position. He speaks with passion and conviction?.

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Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna. Photo: Edwin W Sifuna. Source: Facebook

Gifted with charisma and a flair for eloquence, Sifuna effortlessly switches between languages to drive his point home.

One morning, during a heated morning TV talk show, Sifuna dramatically switched to his local dialect, ostensibly to help his compatriot and tribesman, Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale, understand and appreciate the weight of his point. He sought permission from the host to localise the conversation for the sake of his elder from Malinya.

To many, the attributes he exemplifies fit the image? of a typical “born tao” politician — polished and shaped by Nairobi’s comfort and privilege. One could eas?ily imagin?e him g?r?owing up in leafy suburbs of Kenya's capital before sm?oothly t?ransi?tioning in?to politics.? Far from it. Sifuna is a simple and naive village boy who arrived in Nairobi carrying his own bed. While many Luhyas often carry their bedding back home during December holidays, Sifuna disrupted this order of nature and did the exact opposite.

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Nairobi senator Edwin Watenya Sifuna was born at St Mary's Hospital in Mumias on May 22, 1982, and raised in Kanduyi constituency, Bungoma County . He spent the better part of his childhood in Siaka village, playing and rearing chickens as many village boys did.

When Sifuna was not at his parents' home, he would be found at his uncle's place, playing and studying with his cousins. At some point, they went to the same primary school, and Sifuna became part of that family.

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He built a strong bond with his uncle Lawrence, so much that when he joined politics and gained popularity, many believed the former lawmaker was his biological father.

Edwin Sifuna’s parents are retired civil servants who pursued different careers. His father, Vincent Watenya, was an employee at the defunct Kakamega Municipal Council, and his mother, Mrs Watenya, was a long-serving teacher at Moi Primary School in Bungoma, where Sifuna also schooled before transferring to Kakamega Township.

Upon retiring, Edwin Sifuna’s parents chose a low-key life in the village, farming and managing family businesses.

Edwin Sifuna has two brothers and two sisters, who have chosen a private life away from media and public limelight.

Even during Sifuna's recent visit to Bungoma County, where he hosted supporters at his rural home, his siblings operated behind the scenes, letting their parents and relatives speak and entertain the guests.

Edwin Sifuna’s wife is Didi Wamukoya, a lawyer and daughter of a prominent Kenyan politician and former Butere MP, Amukowa Anangwe

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Didi has chosen to keep her life private despite the fame and influence that surrounds her.

In previous interviews, Sifuna disclosed that she works with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and is passionate about the environment, wildlife and conservation.

Academically, Sifuna’s wife holds a law degree, a diploma from Kenya School of Law, and a Master's degree.

Sifuna has severally admitted that his wife is more learned than, admitting that sometimes he avoids challenging her on certain issues.

Edwin Sifuna with Naliaka, a trader at Chwele market. Photo: Edwin Sifuna. Source: Facebook

Edwin Sifuna started his education at Moi Primary School in Bungoma before transferring to Kakamega Township, where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).

He joined Misungu High School in 1996 and performed excellently, qualifying to study law at the University of Nairobi (UoN).

Sifuna joined UoN in 2001 for his undergraduate degree. He graduated in 2005 and later joined the Kenya School of Law for the Postgraduate Diploma, also referred to as the Advocate Training Program (ATP).

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He completed the training in 2007 and was admitted to the bar in 2008.

Upon being admitted to the bar, Edwin Sifuna returned to Siaka village and started applying for jobs. He got his first job as a legal officer at Mini Bakeries Ltd, which is behind the production of Supa Loaf bread.

When he left home, Sifuna carried his own bed from Siaka village to Country Bus to start a new life in the city. Although he had been to Nairobi before, he knew the experience he had as a student would be completely different from the reality that awaited him as a new taxpayer in town.

Carrying his own bed symbolised the desire to start life from scratch rather than rely on family name or connections to have a head start.

That grounding pe?rhaps explains why, despit?e his gr?owing nationa?l profile, Sifuna sti?ll e?a?si?ly blends with ordinary citizens. Away from off?ic?ial engagemen?t?s, he is often spotted in si?mple T-shirts and jeans, int?eracting f?reely with? wan?anchi with?out th?e exagg?erated? air of? impor?tance th?at? so?met?imes acc?ompanies? politic?al office.

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He settled in South B at the company’s servant quarters and started the job.

He later moved to Magnate Ventures Limited, a marketing firm, and served in the same position for about three years.

In a past interview, Sifuna described his journey from Siaka to Country Bus and later to the Senate of Kenya as a miracle.

In the run-up to the 2013 General Election, Sifuna was introduced to Raila Odinga’s presidential campaign team and was appointed to the technical/advisory committee.

After the election, which Raila lost, Sifuna decided to quit his job at the marketing firm and start his own law firm.

Edwin Sifuna had no ambition to join politics until he was introduced to Raila Odinga’s campaign team in 2013. The interaction and deep conversations he had with Kenya’s finest political architects inspired him to join the game.

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In 2017, he sought an ODM party ticket to run for the Kanduyi parliamentary seat but lost in the primaries.

He returned to Nairobi and was given the ODM ticket to contest for the Nairobi senatorial seat, which he lost to Johnson Sakaja .

In August 2018, Sifuna was appointed ODM Secretary General, a position he held until July 2026 when he was formally removed and replaced by Catherine Omayo in an acting capacity.

In 2022, Sifuna contested the Nairobi senatorial seat again and won, beating Bishop Margert Wanjiru of UDA with a margin of over 190,000 votes.

Edwin Sifuna met Raila in the run-up to the 2013 General Election through Silas Jakakimba, his classmate and longtime friend. Jakakimba was then Raila’s aide and thought Sifuna would add value to the former prime minister's campaign team, hence the invitation.

Sifuna did not disappoint. He played an integral role in offering legal advice and campaign strategy to the technical/advisory committee, of which he was a member.

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When Raila lost the election, Sifuna continued to visit him at his Capitol Hill office in Upperhill to encourage and advise him on better strategies to win the next election.

Edwin Sifuna with former prime minister Raila Odinga. Photo: Edwin Sifuna. Source: Facebook

Edwin Sifuna enjoyed a cordial relationship with Raila Odinga until the day the ODM leader passed on. However, there were instances when the two did not agree on some things.

One such moment was during the Homa Bay senatorial by-election occasioned by the death of Senator Otieno Kajwang in 2015.

Raila assured all the contestants that ODM would conduct a free and fair nomination and give a ticket to whoever wins.

Sifuna backed Jakakimba, his longtime friend, classmate, and Raila’s aide.

However, the nomination was bungled, and the party ticket was given to Moses Kajwang, the late Otieno Kajwang’s younger brother.

Sifuna was irked and started launching scathing attacks against the party. He extended his criticism to the Standard newspaper, where he was a columnist. He used the platform to call out ODM and its leadership, unsettling some party officials and supporters.

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Raila was unhappy with Sifuna’s conduct, and they avoided each other for some time.

But as fate would have it, Raila's eldest son, Fidel Odinga, died in the midst of the heightened tension.

Sifuna visited Raila at his Karen home to pass his condolences. Tension was palpable, but he had to console Baba.

To his surprise, Raila received him warmly, left other guests and spent time with him. For over 15 minutes, he tried to explain and persuade him to understand why the party gave the ticket to Moses Kajwang.

The heart-to-heart conversation went on until Dennis Onyango, Raila’s spokesperson, came and took him away from Sifuna.

Reflecting on this moment, Sifuna said he was shocked by Raila’s kindness in the midst of grief.

Sifuna’s other tense moment with Raila came in the run-up to the 2022 General Election. As the secretary general of ODM, he was under immense pressure from the press to confirm whether Raila would run for president.

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ODM had invited party members interested in contesting for the presidential seat to submit applications on or before March 31, 2021. Raila had not submitted his application by the deadline date, and Sifuna, as the party spokesperson, was being pressured by journalists to explain Raila’s fate.

In a meeting on March 31 chaired by Raila and other party officials, Sifuna asked Raila to allow him to tell the press he had submitted his papers and he would be on the ballot in 2022.

Raila, according to Sifuna, gave him the green light to do so.

The following day, newspapers’ front pages were awash with headlines of Raila’s 2022 presidential bid, with Sifuna quoted as the source of the information.

When Baba saw the news, he was outraged. He called Sifuna while seething with rage and fury. He denied ever telling him to speak to the media about his 2022 presidential bid.

He called other party officials who were in the meeting to confirm if they also heard Raila’s answer to his request. To his surprise, they all denied.

In the afternoon, he went to see Raila to discuss the way forward. After a candid conversation, Raila advised him to spin the whole thing and tell the press that the announcement was an April Fools' Day prank, which he did and faced public whiplash.

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Edwin Sifuna's supporter carrying a placard declaring support for his presidential bid. Photo: Edwin Sifuna. Source: Facebook

Sifuna's talent was spotted in 2015 by Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong'o, a high-ranking member of the ODM, having served as the party's secretary general from 2008-2014.

Sifuna had written a hard-hitting article questioning the internal democracy, impartiality and fairness of ODM party primaries. The article came against the backdrop of a chaotic nomination exercise in Homa Bay to pick an ODM senatorial candidate following the demise of Senator Otieno Kajwang.

Nyong'o read the article and was impressed by Sifuna's writing prowess and the critical issues he was raising. He invited him for lunch, and a conversation started that would propel him to the powerful seat three years later.

The first opportunity that prepared Sifuna for the job came in 2016 when KTN, through Yvonne Okwara, invited an ODM representative to an evening panel discussion, but none of the party officials was present in Nairobi at the time. Sifuna was picked to represent the party in the discussion, and his performance exceeded expectations.

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When Ababu Namwamba was hounded out of office in 2016, ODM picked Agnes Zani as an interim SG and embarked on a search for a substantive secretary general.

In August 2018, the party's National Executive Council settled on Edwin Sifuna as the ODM secretary general, a position he held until July 2026, when he was kicked out.

Masolo Mabonga (HOD Politics and Current Affairs)

Masolo Mabonga is the HOD of the Political and Current Affairs desk. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and Media Technology from Maseno University in 2017 and has previously worked with KNA and Opera News. He is a recipient of Elevate scholarship (2022) and is currently pursuing a law degree at MKU. Masolo has also received training from the Google News Initiative on Advanced Digital Reporting, Fighting Misinformation, and Experimenting with New Formats (2024). He has over seven years of experience in digital media. Email: masolo.mabonga@tuko.co.ke.