“You Owe Him Some Respect”: Pauline Njoroge Hits Back at Gabriel Oguda Over Sifuna

Political strategist Pauline Njoroge has hit back at political commentator Gabriel Oguda following his remarks about former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s political allies and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Njoroge challenged Oguda to “face some facts” after he questioned the political strategy used by Odinga’s allies in the Mt Kenya region, with the exchange quickly turning the spotlight on Sifuna and his potential political ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Oguda had taken to Facebook with a cryptic but pointed message directed at unnamed political figures involved in Odinga’s political affairs.

“Tuliwaambia mkiona Murathe ametoka kwa shimo muanze kujipanga mapema,” Oguda wrote.

He accused unnamed individuals of taking Odinga around Mt Kenya and misleading him politically.

“Bwana hao majamaa walipigisha Baba roundi mwenda Mt Kenya wakamdanganya hadi na viatu,” he said.

Oguda also invoked a warning from “Babu”, suggesting that some of the political manoeuvres surrounding Odinga could be part of a long-term strategy.

“Saa hizo Babu is warning us it's a long con na hatuskii maneno,” he wrote.

He concluded his post with a reference to El Niño.

“Afadhali nyinyi El Nino inakuja it will wash away your tears,” Oguda added.

Pauline Njoroge fires back

Njoroge responded with a detailed rebuttal, challenging Oguda to consider what she described as four political facts.

“Let’s face some facts here,” she said.

Her first argument centred on Odinga’s support in the Mt Kenya region during the 2022 presidential election.

“Fact one: Mt. Kenya gave Baba one million votes, which has never happened before,” Njoroge stated.

She then questioned the voter turnout recorded in Luo Nyanza during the election.

“Fact two: Almost 700,000 people in Luo Nyanza never turned out to vote,” she said.

“How do you do 72% voter turn out when you have a leading presidential candidate, making what was likely his final stab at the presidency?” Njoroge asked.

Her third point concerned campaign agents’ funds, although she did not identify the person she was referring to.

“Fact three: Someone so close to Baba ate agents money,” she alleged.

Njoroge then moved to what she described as a separate issue involving Oguda and Sifuna.

“Fact four: Unrelated to the first 3,” she said.

According to Njoroge, Sifuna once intervened on Oguda’s behalf when the government allegedly came after him.

“When Ruto’s government came after you, it’s Edwin Sifuna who went out of his way to secure your release,” Njoroge claimed.

“I won’t go into details because you know them,” she added.

“You owe him some respect”

Njoroge subsequently appealed to Oguda to acknowledge Sifuna’s alleged intervention, even if he disagrees with the senator politically.

“You are a Catholic so I assume you know what the Bible says about giving honor to whom honor is due,” she said.

“You don’t have to support Sifuna politically, but because of what he did for you, you owe him some respect,” Njoroge added.

She also criticised Oguda over what she described as repeated attempts to ridicule Sifuna.

“The attacks and the posts you do to ridicule him really look bad on you,” Njoroge said.

Her remarks effectively shifted the political conversation from Oguda’s criticism of Odinga’s allies to Sifuna’s growing prominence within discussions about the opposition’s future.

Is Sifuna positioning himself for 2027?

The exchange comes at a time when Sifuna is increasingly being mentioned in conversations about Kenya’s political future and the possible presidential contest in 2027.

The Nairobi senator has become a prominent voice in opposition politics, with his political activities and alliances attracting increased attention as parties and politicians begin positioning themselves for the next General Election.

Njoroge’s intervention adds another layer to the debate, particularly because her defence of Sifuna focuses not only on his political record but also on an alleged personal intervention on behalf of one of his critics.

Oguda’s original remarks and Njoroge’s response also highlight the continuing debate over Raila Odinga’s 2022 campaign, the Mt Kenya vote and the future direction of the opposition.

For now, the claims concerning campaign agents’ money and Sifuna’s alleged role in securing Oguda’s release remain allegations made by Njoroge. The statements provided do not independently establish those claims.

But the public exchange has already injected fresh energy into the conversation around Edwin Sifuna, his potential 2027 presidential ambitions and the emerging battle for influence within Kenya’s opposition.

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