The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has removed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna from his position as the party’s secretary-general, marking a significant development in the party’s leadership despite an earlier tribunal ruling that questioned the process used to oust him.
The decision was announced on Monday by acting Secretary-General Catherine Omanyo after a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
She said members unanimously adopted recommendations presented by the Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC), which had been established under the party constitution to determine a complaint against Sifuna.
“The NEC received and considered the report of the party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Committee and, after going through the findings under Article 74(2) of the party constitution, unanimously resolved to adopt the committee’s recommendations and endorsed the removal from office of Senator Edwin Watenya Sifuna,” Omanyo said.
She noted that the resolution takes effect immediately, bringing Sifuna’s tenure as the party’s secretary-general to an end.
In explaining its decision, ODM referred to observations made by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) on the importance of internal accountability within political organisations.
“The day any official of a party becomes above the law, so to speak, will be the day of the funeral of political party democracy in Kenya. If such a situation were to occur as a matter of fact, this tribunal would never sanction the same by law, for such would be an affront to the law,” the tribunal stated.
The tribunal also maintained that it should not interfere unnecessarily with a political party’s internal disciplinary structures, saying such intervention would amount to micromanaging party affairs.
Despite endorsing Sifuna’s removal, the NEC extended goodwill to the Nairobi senator.
“We take this opportunity to wish our former secretary-general well in his future endeavours and engagements,” Omanyo said.
The latest development comes only days after the PPDT ruled that Sifuna had not been accorded procedural fairness during an earlier attempt to remove him from office.
In a judgment delivered by Tribunal Chair Gad Gathu, the panel found that the NEC process was flawed, citing shortcomings in notice, agenda setting and the opportunity given to Sifuna to respond to the allegations against him.
“The complainant was not accorded a fair hearing prior to the resolution to remove him from office,” the tribunal stated.
According to the ruling, there was no evidence that Sifuna had been informed his conduct would be discussed during the NEC meeting, with the tribunal noting that the circulated agenda did not include any disciplinary proceedings involving him.
“There is no evidence that the complainant was informed of any change in the agenda in the discussion of his conduct to enable him to appear accordingly,” the tribunal added.
The tribunal consequently found that the earlier resolution removing Sifuna could not stand because it breached the principles of a fair hearing, reiterating.
“We therefore find that the complainant was not accorded a fair hearing prior to the resolution to remove him from office,”said .
The fresh NEC decision now places ODM’s internal disciplinary mechanisms back in the spotlight and is expected to fuel further legal and political debate over the party’s leadership changes and adherence to due process.
