The High Court has stepped in to temporarily stop the removal of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna from his role as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, February 12, the court suspended a gazette notice that had formalized his ouster. This order will remain in place until the case is heard and decided.
As a result, no changes will be made to the party’s secretariat for now. The court has set February 26 as the date to give further directions on the petition Sifuna filed against ODM and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
The ruling came only hours after Sifuna went to court to challenge a decision by the ODM National Executive Committee, which had announced that he was no longer holding the party position. He argued that the process used to remove him was unlawful and went against the party’s constitution.
Following the NEC decision, ODM stated that Sifuna had been dismissed with immediate effect, citing issues related to discipline and failure to follow party procedures.
This move sparked strong reactions within the party and renewed debate about leadership and internal democracy.
In his petition, Sifuna maintained that he remains the duly elected Secretary General and said any attempt to remove him must follow the law and party rules. He also claimed that a small group acting under outside influence was trying to divide the party.
According to him, the move against him is linked to his refusal to support President Ruto’s leadership and has no legal basis, despite his more than nine years in the role.
