When she took to the stage in Mombasa City to announce that the ODM’s National Executive Council (NEC) had fired Edwin Sifuna as secretary-general on Wednesday afternoon, many of those present at the press conference were unfamiliar with the face of Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo.
Yet within moments, that unfamiliarity had dissolved.
With measured cadence and unmistakable resolve, she announced the immediate removal of Mr Sifuna — a declaration that drew mixed reactions, but thunderous cheers from onlookers at the venue of the press conference.
In that instant, Ms Omanyo ceased to be a peripheral figure; she became the custodian of the party’s next chapter. Although she had been Mr Sifuna’s deputy, she chose to work behind the scenes.
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“Having deliberated on the matters relating to conduct of the Party-Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, the NEC resolved to remove him with immediate effect in accordance with the party constitution. Effectively, the Deputy Secretary General, yours truly, Catherine Omanyo, will act in this position until a substantive holder of the position is elected,” she said on Wednesday, her words firm and deliberate.
There was a deliberate choreography in her demeanour, a blend of triumph and sobriety. She assumes the mantle of the secretary-general at a time when the party grapples with internal wrangles and is well aware she has inherited not merely a title, but the burden of unity, discipline and direction.
Long before she stood at the helm of a national political movement, she was a young woman in her twenties, single, untested by the brutal currents of elective politics but she dared to declare her candidature for the Nambale Parliamentary seat in 2007, a move many were quick to dismiss.
Catherine Omanyo.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
This did not dampen her spirit; she went ahead and secured nomination through the Kenya African Democratic Union (Kadu) Party, becoming the only woman contesting against men she described as well-established, both career and wealth-wise.
She stated that without finances, organising campaign rallies faced hurdles, and she came in third position.
She would suffer two more failed attempts in 2013 and 2017, unsuccessfully running for the Matayos Parliamentary seat and 18 years later, Ms Omanyo is finally leading her people, having bagged the Busia County Woman Representative seat on an ODM Party ticket.
Born and raised in Nambale, Busia County, by a widowed mother. All she ever dreamt of was giving her mother, who single-handedly raised her alongside nine siblings, a better life.
One of her major achievements, she says, is successfully building houses for hundreds of widows within the eight sub-counties of Busia through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), having put up over 200 houses.
From widows to now taking care of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s orphans, Ms Omanyo is optimistic that she is capable of steering the party as the new spokesperson.
And politics, like Geography, which was her first calling, is about understanding the terrain, reading shifting landscapes, and charting routes where none seem visible.
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Today entrusted with ODM’s compass at a pivotal crossroads, Ms Omanyo stands out not merely as an acting official, but a symbol of endurance, audacity and the enduring spirit of political reinvention.
And later in the afternoon, when she rose to speak during the ODM Coast Region Delegates meeting in Mombasa, her voice was as firm as she vowed to fill one of the most influential positions in the 20-year-old party.
ODM leader Oburu Oginga (second left) and other party officials listen as acting party secretary-general Catherine Omanyo (centre) reads a statement on the removal of Edwin Sifuna as secretary -general on February 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool| ODM
To her, she was only stepping in to fill a vacuum left after the removal of her predecessor, Edwin Sifuna.
“Before Baba died, he stressed not leaving a vacuum in the party. Had we waited long, we would have ended up with a collapsed house. I thank you for the trust bestowed on me,” said Ms Omanyo.
She criticised Mr Sifuna, saying that, as someone in a high position, it was paramount that he showed respect to his fellow members instead of talking down to people and going against party directives.
Mr Sifuna was removed a few days after leaders allied to him, including Siaya Governor James Orengo, ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, and Embakasi East held a successful rally in Ms Omanyo’s backyard of Busia dubbed Linda Mwananchi.
“We should not incite members or chest thump to other members of the party. We need to support each other in building this home. And now that I was left under the wings of my new party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, mine is to just ask him for directions and follow them,” said Ms Omanyo.
