Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been removed as Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) unanimously adopted recommendations of its Internal Disputes Resolution Committee, escalating a months-long internal dispute within one of Kenya's biggest political parties.
In resolutions released following a meeting held at Chungwa House in Nairobi on Monday, ODM said the decision followed an internal disciplinary process that examined complaints against the Nairobi senator in his capacity as Secretary General.
"The NEC unanimously resolved to adopt the Committee's recommendations and endorsed the removal from office of Senator Edwin Watenya Sifuna. Effectively, Sen. Sifuna ceases to be the Secretary General of the ODM Party," the statement said.
The party insisted that due process had been followed despite a series of legal battles filed by Sifuna at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), where he challenged attempts to remove him from office.
The latest development comes only days after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ruled that ODM had not followed fair hearing procedures in its earlier attempts to remove Sifuna, while also allowing the party to pursue disciplinary proceedings provided they complied with the law and the party constitution.
The tribunal reportedly held that disciplinary action could continue if "lawfully initiated" through internal mechanisms.
ODM, however, maintained that the tribunal had repeatedly directed both parties to exhaust the party's Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanism before seeking external intervention.
"It should be noted that before the Party initiated the disciplinary process, Sen. Edwin Sifuna moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and obtained orders stopping the Party from taking any action against him," ODM said.
According to the party, those orders were later vacated, paving the way for disciplinary proceedings to continue. ODM said Sifuna subsequently sought adjournments and requested further details of the allegations before later declining to participate in the process.
"On April 20, 2026, when he was bound to appear, his lead counsel Isaac Okero, SC, appeared before the Committee and informed them that his client was not willing to proceed citing bias within the Committee. The IDRM had no option other than to proceed to hear the matter ex parte," the statement added.
ODM also cited previous observations by the tribunal in defence of its actions.
"The day any official of a Party becomes above the law, so to speak, will be the day of the funeral of political Party democracy in Kenya," the tribunal had stated in remarks quoted by ODM.
The decision now potentially opens another legal and political chapter in the dispute, with attention shifting to whether Sifuna will challenge his removal and how the development could affect ODM as it prepares for its National Delegates Convention and the election of national officials.