In a dramatic legal intervention that upends the leadership crisis rocking the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a High Court judge has temporarily suspended the party’s move to remove Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General, delivering a stunning setback to senior party officials who had pushed for his exit. The order, issued late Thursday, freezes all actions taken against Sifuna pending the hearing of his constitutional petition challenging the process that led to his purported ouster.
In his ruling, Justice Martin Muya underscored the serious constitutional issues raised by Sifuna’s lawyers, including alleged violations of ODM’s own constitution and procedures and the absence of due process in the decision to strip him of his post. The judge said that if the party’s actions were allowed to stand before the court examines the core arguments, it could result in “irreparable harm” to Sifuna’s political rights and standing in the party. The stay order remains in force until the matter is fully heard.
The decision marks a stunning reversal for ODM’s National Executive Committee, which earlier this month passed a resolution to replace Sifuna with Catherine Omanyo as acting Secretary General amid factional fights over strategy and direction. Sifuna immediately challenged the move in court, arguing that party organs lacked the authority to terminate his tenure without a properly constituted National Delegates Conference.
Sifuna, who also serves as Nairobi Senator, welcomed the ruling in a brief statement outside the courtroom, declaring that the court has reaffirmed his right to a fair hearing and adherence to party rules. He urged ODM members to respect constitutionalism and due process in resolving internal disputes.
ODM leadership has not yet publicly detailed its next steps, but party insiders indicate that the legal stay order throws all recent leadership decisions into uncertainty, potentially delaying the planned National Delegates Conference and forcing a recalibration of internal power plays. Some analysts say the court’s intervention may embolden factional rivals and accelerate realignments ahead of the 2027 general election cycle.
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