The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has set March 26 as the date it will deliver its ruling on the dispute over the removal of Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement.
Speaking on Thursday, March 12, the tribunal’s Vice Chair Gad Gathu said the judgment would be delivered at 2:30 pm.
The tribunal reached the decision after hearing submissions from Sifuna’s legal team as well as representatives of ODM and the Registrar of Political Parties.
“We will deliberate on this matter and give a judgment on March 26 at 2.30 pm. That is the earliest available date taking into account the tribunal’s workload,” Gathu said.
Lawyers representing both the claimant and the respondents urged the tribunal to deliver its decision as soon as possible, citing the urgency of the matter.
Through his lawyers, Sifuna argued that the decision by the party’s National Delegates Council to remove him from office was fundamentally flawed and asked the tribunal to declare it null and void. He also requested that the court award him the costs of the petition.
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Representing ODM, Tom Kajwang, the Ruaraka MP, told the tribunal that the move to remove Sifuna was part of an ongoing internal process rather than a final decision.
“This process is continuous until the National Delegates Convention, which has the power to elect. That is why the Deputy SG is in an acting capacity,” Kajwang said.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of Political Parties argued that it had been prematurely sued, noting that under Section 40 of the Political Parties Act it had not made any decision that would warrant legal action against it.
Sifuna has maintained that he remains the legitimate Secretary General of ODM and has dismissed the appointment of Catherine Omanyo as acting Secretary General.
ODM leader Oburu Odinga has defended the party’s actions, saying the party must uphold its values and discipline members who deviate from its position.
The dispute within ODM intensified after Sifuna publicly declared that he would not support William Ruto in the 2027 presidential election.
