Not so fast! Court halts ODM’s bid to remove Edwin Sifuna as SG

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In a significant development in the leadership dispute rocking the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) has temporarily stopped the party’s effort to remove Senator Edwin Sifuna as Secretary‑General.

On Thursday, the tribunal issued interim conservatory orders staying the implementation of a National Executive Committee (NEC) resolution passed on Wednesday that sought to divest Mr Sifuna of his position.

The order also restrains ODM and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties from publishing the resolution in the Kenya Gazette, a crucial step that would have made the decision official.

“That pending the hearing and determination of this instant application, inter partes, this Honourable Tribunal hereby issues orders staying the implementation of the Resolution made by the National Executive Committee…” the tribunal said in its ruling, delivered by Acting Chairperson Gad Gathu.

The move gives Mr Sifuna a temporary reprieve and preserves the status quo until the dispute is fully heard and determined. The matter has been scheduled for mention on 26 February 2026 at 2:30 p.m., when the tribunal will confirm compliance and give further directions.

The court action was filed by Mr Sifuna after the NEC, at a meeting held in Mombasa and chaired by party leader Oburu Oginga, resolved to relieve him of his duties amid rising internal tensions.

Busia County MP Catherine Omanyo, who served as deputy secretary general, was appointed acting Secretary‑General pending further proceedings.

At a press briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday, Mr Sifuna described the NEC’s decision as irregular and an infringement of party procedures.

“I was not given a chance to defend myself,” he said, insisting he remains the validly elected Secretary‑General of ODM.

He also dismissed accusations that he had confused his personal views with official party positions, defending his right to speak freely.

“I remain committed to ODM and its founding ideals… I remain a loyal member and the duly elected secretary general of ODM,” Mr Sifuna said.

The NEC had cited concerns over discipline within senior leadership as justification for the move, and party officials maintain that internal processes must be respected.

Under ODM’s constitution, any change in key leadership positions typically requires deliberation and endorsement by relevant party organs, including the National Delegates Conference (NDC).

Critics of the NEC’s action have said the process was rushed and lacked procedural fairness.

With the tribunal’s orders in place, the leadership dispute will now unfold in a quasi‑judicial forum, setting the stage for a broader legal and political confrontation within one of Kenya’s major opposition parties ahead of the 2027 General Election.