Edwin Watenya Sifuna (born 22 May 1982) is a Kenyan politician and the current Senator of Nairobi County after being elected in the 2022 Kenyan general election.[1][2] He is the Secretary-General of the ODM Party and the deputy minority whip in the Senate of Kenya.[3]
Edwin Sifuna | |
|---|---|
 Sifuna in 2024 | |
| Senator of Nairobi City County | |
| Assumed office 8 Sept 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edwin Watenya Sifuna 22 May 1982 Kakamega, Kenya |
| Political party | ODM |
| Alma mater | University of Nairobi (LL.B) Kenya School of Law (KSL. Dip Law) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Website | edwinsifuna |
Early Life and Education
editSifuna started his formal education at Kakamega Township Primary School and later on joined Musingu High School where he sat his KCSE exams. Thereafter, he pursued a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, graduating in 2006. After receiving his Post Graduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law in 2007, Sifuna did his pupilage at Kairu & McCourt Advocates in Nairobi and was thereafter admitted to the Roll of Advocates in 2008[citation needed].
Political career
editIn 2013, Sifuna became a member of CORD as a Technical/Advisory Committee Member for three years before joining NASA in the same capacity. In the 2017 Kenyan general election, Edwin Sifuna expressed his interest to vie[4] for the Kanduyi Constituency Member of Parliament seat on an ODM Party ticket. He was however not successful during the primaries in April where he lost to John Makali.
With only about two months to the general elections in August, ODM fronted[5] Sifuna as their preferred candidate to contest the Nairobi senatorial seat[6] then held by Mike Sonko. He polled 674,056 votes (42,51%) against winner Johnson Sakaja who got 811,826 votes (51,20%).
In February 2018, Sifuna was picked as the Secretary-General of ODM[7] party to replace Ababu Namwamba.[8] In 2019, he was elected to serve as the Vice-chair of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD).
Senate
editIn the 2022 Kenyan general election, Sifuna once again [9][10] contested the Nairobi Senatorial seat.[11] He garnered 716,876 to clinch the seat[12][13] and is now serving the people of Nairobi as their senator. In February 2023, he assumed the role of deputy minority whip in the Senate.[14]
Personal life
editEdwin Sifuna was born on 22 May 1982, at St. Mary's Hospital in Mumias, Kakamega County. His father was a civil servant with the defunct Municipal Council and his mother, a now-retired teacher from Moi Primary School in Bungoma. He has two brothers and two sisters. He is married[15] with a daughter.
References
edit- ^ Citizen Digital, 14 Aug 2022 Edwin Sifuna Floors Bishop Wanjiru To Win Nairobi Senator Seat
- ^ "List of elected senators".
- ^ The-Star, 15 Feb 2023 Sifuna lands deputy whip role in Senate as Azimio lash rebels
- ^ The-Star, 12 Apr 2017 Sifuna, Makali battle for ODM Kanduyi ticket - The Star
- ^ All Africa 6 May 2017 Why ODM Replaced Nairobi Senatorial Candidate
- ^ Venas News, 1 Jun 2017 Edwin Sifuna and Johnson Sakaja, Who Will Win Nairobi Senatorial Seat?
- ^ The-Star, 23 Dec 202 Edwin Sifuna's rise from high school cheerleader to ODM
- ^ The Standard, Feb, 2018 ODM picks lawyer Sifuna as secretary general, replaces Ababu Namwamba
- ^ The Standard, 16 Dec 2021 ODM’s Edwin Sifuna to vie for Nairobi Senate seat in 2022
- ^ Capital FM, 16 Dec 2021 Sifuna Declares Senatorial Bid, Rules Out Candidacy In Native Bungoma
- ^ Nation, 16 Dec 2021 Edwin Sifuna declares second bid for Nairobi Senate seat
- ^ People Daily, 14 Aug 2022 Sifuna wins Nairobi senator race
- ^ The-Star, 14 Aug 2022 ODM's Sifuna wins Nairobi senator seat
- ^ Africa Press, 15 Feb 2023 Sifuna lands deputy whip role in Senate as Azimio lash rebels
- ^ Standard, 22 Jul 2015 My future wife snubbed me in campus- High Court Advocate Edwin Sifuna