The late ODM leader Raila Odinga (center) with Senators Edwin Sifuna (left)and Godfrey Osotsi…Photo/IP

MOMBASA, Kenya (IP)

Two senior Orange Democratic Movement officials, Senators Edwin Sifuna and Godfrey Osotsi, were absent Tuesday from the party’s National Executive Committee meeting in Mombasa, a gathering overshadowed by speculation over possible leadership changes.

Sifuna, the party’s secretary-general, sent apologies and did not attend the meeting. Osotsi, the deputy party leader, remained in Nairobi, citing Senate commitments.

The meeting, convened at the Coast amid rising internal debate about the party’s direction, started later than scheduled as some senior officials arrived behind time.

It proceeded against a backdrop of murmurs within party ranks about potential restructuring of key positions, including the secretary-general’s office.

Neither Sifuna nor Osotsi publicly addressed the speculation ahead of the meeting.

Party insiders have described growing divisions over strategy and alliances, with differing views on how the party should position itself nationally.

While no formal motion to remove any official had been tabled publicly, the absence of two high-profile leaders fueled talk of internal maneuvering.

Under ODM’s constitution, changes to party leadership require a defined process, including deliberation and approval by relevant organs.

No official announcement on leadership changes was made during the meeting.

The party has in recent months grappled with balancing internal cohesion and external political pressures, as debates intensify over its role in the broader national political landscape.

Tuesday’s meeting ended without immediate public fallout.

But the absence of two senior officials — at a time when the party is confronting questions about its future direction — underscored the delicate moment facing one of Kenya’s leading opposition outfits.