Tribunal dismisses Sifuna’s court bid to stop his removal as ODM SG
By Zipporah Ngwatu, March 26, 2026The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) has struck out Senator Edwin Sifuna’s case on his removal as the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General (SG).
The PPDT has also directed parties in the matter to resolve the matter through ODM internal dispute resolution (IDRM) before returning.
“The complainant (Sifuna) and the first respondent (ODM) shall attempt to resolve the dispute through the first respondent’s (ODM) IDRM mechanisms. The parties are encouraged to submit to IDRM in good faith,” the tribunal ruled.
In dismissing the case, the PPDT, led by acting chairperson Gad Gathu on Thursday, March 26, 2026, argued that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
Further, the PPDT aver that Senator Sifuna did not table any evidence detailing that he tried to solve the dispute internally with his party before filing a case before it.
“The Tribunal therefore finds that it does not have powers to exempt a dispute from the requirement to attempt IDRM and thus cannot assume jurisdiction to hear and determine this dispute under the provisions of Section 40, subsection 2 of the Political Parties Act,” the tribunal ruled.
Notably, the PPDT has barred the ODM from formalising Sifuna’s removal as the SG of the party with the Registrar of Political Parties pending the attempt to solve the dispute with IDRM.
“As a show of good faith, the removal of the complainant as Secretary General of the first respondent (ODM) should not be filed with the second respondent (Registrar of Political Parties) pending the attempt at IDRM and without prejudice to the first respondent’s right to institute or conduct disciplinary proceedings in strict compliance with its constitution and all applicable laws or the right of any party to approach this tribunal for redress as provided for in the Political Parties Act,” the Tribunal ruled.
The PPDT, in its judgement, has also noted that ODM, through an affidavit, revealed that the resolution to expel Sifuna as the SG on February 11, 2026, while in Mombasa, was not final.