The Orange Democratic Movement is preparing to launch a fresh internal disciplinary process against its Secretary-General, Senator Edwin Sifuna, following a ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal that overturned his previous removal.
While the tribunal handed Sifuna a temporary victory by ruling his initial February ouster procedurally flawed, it explicitly cleared the party to legally pursue fresh disciplinary proceedings.
The tribunal, led by chairperson Gad Gathu, ruled that the National Executive Committee failed to give Sifuna a fair hearing or a chance to respond to allegations before trying to remove him.
Crucially, the judgment clarified that its decision does not shield Sifuna from accountability, stating that the opposition party is entirely at liberty to institute and conclude fresh disciplinary actions provided they strictly adhere to their own constitution, internal rules, and the principles of a fair administrative process.
The internal war within the party stems from a deep-rooted ideological rift following the death of longtime leader Raila Odinga. Sifuna has been a vocal critic of closer cooperation with the ruling United Democratic Alliance, which has angered factions within the party supporting the broad-based government arrangement.
Senior party members aligned with the new leadership under Dr. Oburu Oginga accuse Sifuna of insubordination, misrepresenting the party’s official stance, and publicly disclosing confidential campaign information.
Following the tribunal’s decision, the party leadership has claimed victory, stating that the path is now clear to handle the matter cleanly through its Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanism.
Sifuna will be served with a formal notice to show cause, forcing him to defend his position before a party disciplinary panel.
If found guilty under the proper procedural channels, the party can legally push through with his formal removal or suspension from office.
