Embattled Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has secured a legal victory after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) halted attempts to remove him from office.
The Tribunal issued orders staying the implementation of a resolution passed by ODM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Wednesday, which sought to oust Sifuna as the party’s Secretary General.
In addition to suspending the implementation of the resolution, the Tribunal barred the respondents from publishing the decision in the Kenya Gazette — a crucial legal step that would have formalized and effected his removal.
The orders will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the matter on an inter partes basis.
The ruling effectively freezes any action against Sifuna until the dispute is fully heard and determined.
The decision comes just a day after ODM’s NEC announced its resolution to remove Sifuna from the powerful party position, triggering intense debate within the party.
Allies of the Nairobi Senator had termed the move irregular and politically motivated, arguing that due process had not been followed.
By blocking both the implementation and gazettement of the resolution, the Tribunal has temporarily safeguarded Sifuna’s position, marking a major reprieve amid the ongoing internal wrangles within ODM.
Sifuna’s attempted removal had deepened divisions within the opposition party, with factions trading accusations over procedure and leadership control.
The Tribunal’s intervention now shifts the battle to a legal arena, where the dispute will be determined through a formal hearing process.
For now, Sifuna remains ODM’s Secretary General — pending the final determination of the case.
