Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi has gotten reprieve after Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) barred ODM party from expelling him.
Omondi is one of the five MPs who were recently expelled by the ODM party over alleged lack of loyalty to the party on September 6. The other four are Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda, Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo, his Bondo counterpart Gideon Ochanda and Felix Odiwuor of Lang’ata.
ODM leadership accused the five legislators of working with the Kenya Kwanza government contrary to its party constitution.
But Omondi filed a petition before the tribunal to challenge the decision taken by the ODM party. In the case, ODM and the Registrar of Political Parties were listed as the respondent and an interested party respectively.
Omondi’s lawyer Tonny Odera complained that the ODM Disciplinary Committee issued the decision to expel Omondi without hearing him out.
On Tuesday, the PPDT sitting in Nairobi issued an order barring the ODM party from expelling him pending hearing and determination of the case.
“Pending hearing and determination of the application, this honourable tribunal hereby issues interim conservatory orders staying the implementation of the decision by the ODM party to expel and remove the name of Hon Omondi as a member of the party,” the PPDT ruled.
The tribunal chaired by Desma Nungo also barred ODM and its agents from removing Omondi’s name from its membership register.
Additionally, the tribunal restrained ODM or its agents from removing Omondi from any parliamentary committee as a member.
“In the interim and pending hearing and determination of this application, the tribunal hereby issues a temporary order for injunction restraining the respondent and anybody acting on its behalf from removing Hon. Omondi from any parliamentary committee that he presently sits or serves in parliament,” the ruling read in part.
The respondents and interested parties were instructed to file and serve their responses in five days from the date of service.
The application will be mentioned on September 26, 2023 to check on compliance of the order. The tribunal will also give further directions during the mention.
