Edwin Sifuna Gets Extension to Continue as ODM Secretary General, Action to Remove Him Prevented

• Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been granted temporary relief after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal extended the injunctions to prevent his removal
• The court prevented ODM from publishing in the Kenya Gazette the resolution of the National Central Committee which has been challenged
• The crisis arose from the February 11 NEC meeting in Mombasa, chaired by Siaya senator Oburu Oginga, where members decided to remove Sifuna
• Sifuna contested the decision as unconstitutional and filed a lawsuit seeking immediate relief, with ODM raising the initial objection.

Senator from Nairobi Edwin Sifuna has found a temporary relief in his struggle for his position as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

This follows a ruling by the Political Party Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), which extended the duration of conservative orders preventing his removal.

What decision did the PPDT make regarding the Sifuna case?

In the decision that keeps him in power, the court ordered that the interim orders remain in effect until March 12, 2026, when the parties will present their submissions.

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“The hearing by way of highlighting the submissions will be held on March 12, 2026, at 10 am,” the court ordered.

The decision preserves the status quo in the Orange party and stops the implementation of the resolution of the ODM National Central Committee (NEC) to remove him from that powerful position.

The PPDT further prevented the respondents from publishing the impugned resolution in the Kenya Gazette, a move that would have justified his removal.

By blocking the action, PPDT has temporarily protected Sifuna from being excluded from the office of the party’s central secretariat.

Why did Sifuna take ODM to court?

This dispute stems from the NEC meeting held in Mombasa on Wednesday, February 11, where members decided to remove Sifuna from office, citing concerns about discipline within the party’s senior leadership.

The meeting, chaired by the leader of the party, Siaya senator, Oburu Oginga, also appointed the Deputy General Secretary of ODM and the Women’s Representative of kissCatherine Omanyo, as acting general secretary.

But Sifuna, a day after the NEC resolution, moved to the court seeking immediate relief, saying that the decision to remove him was taken without giving him the opportunity to defend himself.

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He also sought orders to stop the implementation of the NEC resolution and prevent ODM and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties from publishing the decision.

Sifuna has dismissed the NEC’s move as illegal and unconstitutional, insisting that he remains the party’s general secretary.

“I remain a loyal member and duly elected General Secretary of the ODM party,” Sifuna announced amid the controversy.

However, ODM has strongly opposed Sifuna’s legal challenge, issuing a preliminary objection seeking the dismissal of the complaint.

The Orange Party has said that the dispute was filed earlier and is outside the jurisdiction of the court.

According to ODM, the issues raised by Sifuna relate to the party’s internal management and governance and must first be addressed through the party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (IDRM).

The party cited Article 40(2) of the Law on Political Parties, which prevents the court from hearing certain disputes unless local remedies have been used.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke