Sifuna moves back to PPDT, seeks orders to stop removal as ODM SG ahead of disciplinary hearing

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has once again moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) seeking orders to stop his removal as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

In a fresh application filed under a certificate of urgency, Sifuna wants the tribunal to suspend the implementation of a resolution allegedly passed by ODM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on February 11, 2026, which sought to oust him from office over claims of misconduct.

Through his lawyers, Sifuna is also seeking to halt any disciplinary proceedings arising from a Notice to Show Cause dated April 2, 2026, and to bar both the party and the Registrar of Political Parties from effecting or publishing any decision removing him in the Kenya Gazette.

He argues that the decision to remove him was reached unlawfully, without prior notice, and without giving him an opportunity to defend himself, in violation of constitutional provisions on fair administrative action and political rights.

According to court documents, Sifuna claims the allegations of misconduct were never tabled as an agenda item during the NEC meeting and that he was neither informed of the accusations nor invited to respond before the decision was made.

The embattled ODM Secretary General further accuses the party of acting in bad faith by initiating what he terms as a “predetermined disciplinary process,” including issuing a notice to show cause while already fixing a hearing date; an indication, he says, that the outcome had already been decided.

He also faults the party for allegedly giving him only four days to respond to vague accusations over the Easter holiday period, arguing that the timeline was unreasonable and designed to undermine his right to a fair hearing.

This latest move comes after the tribunal previously struck out his earlier complaint for lack of jurisdiction, directing the parties to first exhaust the party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (IDRM).

However, Sifuna now contends that the party has frustrated that process and rendered it ineffective.

He warns that unless the tribunal intervenes, ODM may proceed with what he terms an unlawful process and formally gazette his removal, an action he says would not only violate the law but also lead to misuse of public resources.

Sifuna is now urging the tribunal to assume jurisdiction and grant interim orders preserving his position pending the hearing and determination of the dispute.

The matter is expected to be mentioned urgently before the PPDT.

The move comes after ODM initiated proceedings to kick him out of office over alleged gross misconduct. 

In a show-cause letter issued on April 2 signed by ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Sifuna is accused of publicly contradicting party positions and resolutions. 

Among the cited incidents are his appearances on Citizen TV’s The Explainer programme on July 22, 2025, and February 3, 2026, where he allegedly made statements inconsistent with the party’s official stance, including declaring the ODM-UDA broad-based arrangement “dead.”

The party further accused him of persistently issuing contradictory statements despite participating in internal meetings where official positions were agreed upon. 

This, Wanga stated, has caused confusion and undermined the party. 

He is also accused of initiating and engaging in unsanctioned political activities under the Linda Mwananchi Initiative, which ODM claims were conducted outside the framework of officially approved party programmes.

Additionally, the letter cites his alleged failure to attend key party meetings, including a Central Committee meeting held on January 12, 2026, as well as NEC meetings on February 11 and March 4, 2026.

The party ordered Sifuna to respond to the show cause letter by Wednesday, April 8. He is also required to appear before a disciplinary panel on April 10, 2026, at 10am at a venue to be communicated to explain his version of events.