ODM lauds Tribunal ruling on Sifuna SG row, says Friday SDC still on

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has welcomed a ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) that struck out a complaint filed by embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and cleared the way for the party’s Special Delegates Conference (SDC) scheduled for Friday.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the party said the Tribunal dismissed Sifuna’s case for failing to exhaust internal dispute resolution mechanisms, affirming the primacy of party processes in handling internal disputes.

“In the Sen. Edwin Sifuna vs ODM case, the Tribunal struck out the complaint for failure to invoke the Party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanism (IDRM), reaffirming that exhaustion of internal remedies is a mandatory precondition to the Tribunal’s jurisdiction and that it lacks authority to waive this requirement,” read the statement signed by Director of Communications Philip Etale.

The ruling is the latest development in a dispute triggered by a February 11, 2026 NEC meeting in Mombasa that resolved to remove Nairobi Senator Sifuna as Secretary General over disciplinary concerns.

According to the Tribunal, public interest considerations weighed in favour of allowing the party to proceed with its internal processes uninterrupted.

The party described the rulings as a boost to internal democracy and dispute resolution frameworks.

“The ODM Party hails the PPDT for the two decisions as a milestone in promoting Democracy and ensuring that aggrieved parties engage in Internal Disputes Resolution mechanisms as a means of solving issues,” Etale noted.

Sifuna had moved to the Tribunal seeking to block his ouster, initially securing interim orders that barred the implementation and gazettement of the decision.

However, ODM challenged the case, arguing that the matter had not been subjected to internal party mechanisms as required under the Political Parties Act.

The party underscored that the two decisions mean its earlier resolutions remain in force, paving the way for the SDC to proceed as planned.

“Consequently, the resolutions remain in force and the Special Delegates Conference (SDC) scheduled for tomorrow (Friday, March 27, 2026) will go on as planned,” Etale added.

ODM has since invited accredited delegates to attend the Special Delegates Conference set to be held at the ASK Jamhuri Grounds in Nairobi on Friday from 9am.