Tribunal blocks Raila from kicking out party rebel MPs

ODM leader Raila Odinga’s move to stamp his authority in the party hit a brick wall yesterday when the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal stopped the decision to kick out five “rebel” legislators.

In a ruling, the tribunal chaired by Desma Nungo issued conservatory orders barring ODM from expelling the five, among them Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda and MPs Phelix Odiwour, alias, Jalang’o (Lang’ata), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo) and Elisha Ochieng Odhiambo (Gem).

“That in the interim and pending the hearing and determination of the application, this Honourable Tribunal hereby issues interim conservatory orders staying the implementation of the decision to expel and remove the names of the five politicians as members of the ODM party,” ordered Nungo.

She further issued interim orders restraining ODM from de-whipping and or removing Ojienda as a committee member of the County Public Investment and the Security Committee in the senate.

The tribunal further barred the Registrar of Political Parties from acting on recommendations forwarded to her by the party informing her that the five lawmakers had ceased to be its members.

And as the tribunal spelt out its verdict, the rebel MPs declared that they would honour an invitation to State House, Nairobi this morning to follow up on several planned development projects in their respective constituencies.

Ochanda told the press that they have been invited to State House, Nairobi today to discuss development matters.

“We were victimized for championing development but we will troop back to State House today to discuss our region’s development,’’ he said.

He expressed gratitude that the tribunal had blocked the party’s attempts to expel them for “merely championing the development of our region.”

The party had sanctioned the five for openly associating with and supporting President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza government despite being elected on ODM tickets during the last general election.
In their case before the tribunal, the five lawmakers led by Ojienda accused ODM of irregularly removing their names from the register of members of the party through what they termed as a fundamentally flawed process.

The five, who are all ODM life members, say they are apprehensive that the party will recommend the cancellation of their election thereby declaring their seats vacant, triggering by-elections.

The tribunal’s verdict came as Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo accused the party of engaging in double standards by sanctioning the so called rebel MPs for flirting with the executive while its top brass also “sneaked” to State House at night.