Sifuna to know fate as SG before ODM meeting

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna accompanied by other ODM party members when he addressed the media after removal as the Party Secretary General on February 12, 2026. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

All eyes will be on the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal this afternoon as it delivers its judgement in the bitter fallout between ODM and its embattled Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna.

Acting Chairperson Gad Gathu-led bench is set to rule on whether the February 11 Mombasa resolution purporting to remove Sifuna was lawful, or a procedurally defective act carried out in violation of ODM’s own constitution.

Sifuna has challenged the decision, terming it unconstitutional, irregular and in breach of the party’s own governing rules.

Through his lawyer Isaac Okero, Sifuna told the tribunal that the party failed to comply with Article 74 of the ODM Constitution, which requires that any office bearer be given adequate notice and an opportunity to respond before removal.

 He argued that the process was fundamentally flawed and procedurally defective, rendering the decision null and void.

Okero further faulted the NEC for allegedly sidelining Sifuna and failing to formally place his removal on the agenda of the meeting where the decision was reached.

He also questioned the party’s claim that internal dispute resolution mechanisms had been followed, noting that the resolution was publicly communicated, contradicting the requirement for internal handling of disputes.

ODM, however, defended the process, insisting that Sifuna’s application was premature and should be struck out

The party argued that no final decision had been ratified and that Sifuna had bypassed internal channels before approaching the tribunal.

Its lawyers also cited what they described as a pattern of conduct by Sifuna that undermined party discipline and cohesion.

The ruling, expected at 2:30 pm, will either reinstate Sifuna or validate ODM's position that the matter remains an internal party process.

Whatever the outcome, the ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for party discipline, constitutional compliance, and the political future of one of Kenya’s most outspoken senators, while also shaping ODM’s leadership structure and internal governance going forward, including the party’s Special Delegates Convention scheduled for March 27, 2026, in Nairobi County.