- ODM removed its radical Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, after the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Mombasa
- Catherine Omanyo was appointed as acting Secretary General while debates arose about the party’s constitutional procedures, rights, and whether due process was fully followed
- Ruth Odinga shared a photo with a cryptic message during the meeting while Robert Alai claimed that Sifuna will go to court to challenge the decision
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) removed him Edwin Sifuna from his post of General Secretary after several months of internal tensions that increased following the death of the former leader of the party, Raila Odinga.
Source: Facebook
The decision was reached during a tense NEC meeting held in Mombasa on Wednesday, February 11, and chaired by Oburu Oginga.
Sifuna did not attend the meeting, but officially submitted a notice of his absence through the Executive Director, Oduor Ongwen.
In his place, Deputy Secretary General Catherine Omanyo was appointed to serve as acting until the full holder of the post is elected.
Which ODM NEC members opposed the removal of Sifuna?
The action is alleged to divide senior leaders, with some members opposing the decision and insisting that party procedures require a disciplinary process and a fair hearing before such action is taken.
According to The Star newspaper, four NEC members — Deputy Chairman Otiende Amollo, Treasurer Timothy Bosire, Kisumu Women’s Representative Ruth Odingaand another member identified only as Mike — opposed the decision to remove Sifuna.
The publication added that when the issue was put to a vote, 25 members supported the removal of Sifuna while only four voted against.
Those who opposed were reported to insist that the party should uphold its philosophy of “gather all, scatter none,” claiming that Sifuna should have been given a chance to defend himself before the important step was taken.
A source told the newspaper that their call for Sifuna to be given the right to reply was ignored, while Ruth was allegedly shouted at when she insisted on that position.
Will Sifuna go to court to defend his position as Secretary General of ODM?
After the heated discussion, Ruth Odinga shared a photo of herself looking thoughtful during the Mombasa meeting.
According to Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai, he had witnessed a “long day” as tension increased in the NEC session. Ruth has defended Sifuna in public before.
Alai continued to claim that Sifuna is preparing to contest his removal in court. In a Facebook post, he warned that the party leadership is ready for a legal battle and warned Ruth about the political turmoil ahead.
“If we say Oburu is the leader of the party, he is the leader of the party. If we say Sifuna is old, he is old. He is going to court, eager to hold his position, but he will be surprised by how we prepared for this,” Alai wrote.
“But Adhiambo (Ruth) saw a long day in Mombasa. If he is not careful, things will not be easy for him in the future,” he added.
Source: Facebook
Why is ODM withdrawing from the Azimio coalition?
In the same meeting, ODM expressed its intention to officially withdraw from the coalition Declaration of Unity One Kenya Coalition.
The party has stated that the decision will be ratified at the National Delegates Conference (NDC) scheduled for March 26.
Party leader Oburu Oginga rejected recent efforts by coalition partners to reorganize Azimio’s leadership without ODM’s participation, describing the coalition as dead.
He emphasized that ODM, as the largest party within the coalition, cannot be excluded in important decisions.
The move to withdraw could lead to changes in Parliament, where ODM is expected to assert its position as the second largest party and claim minority leadership positions in both houses of parliament.
Leaders associated with Wiper and Jubilee may be affected if the changes continue.
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