The Orange Democratic Movement has fired the clearest shot yet in its war against Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, formally summoning him before a disciplinary committee as the party moves decisively to cement his removal as Secretary General.
ODM issued a show cause letter on April 2, ordering Sifuna to appear on April 8 to answer a string of serious allegations. The move signals that ODM’s leadership is done tolerating internal dissent and is now using party machinery to silence its loudest critic once and for all.
ODM Begins Formal Process to Remove Sifuna as Party Secretary General
ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga signed the explosive letter, accusing Sifuna of publicly contradicting party positions, undermining collective decisions, and causing confusion within ODM’s ranks. The letter warns that failure to respond within the stipulated timeline will result in the matter being determined in his absence.
The charges against Sifuna are sweeping and deliberate, painting him as a senator who has repeatedly defied the party’s authority while hiding behind a rogue faction.
The Charges ODM Has Lined Up Against Sifuna
ODM’s disciplinary letter levels multiple serious allegations against Sifuna that strike at the heart of party loyalty and discipline.
The party accuses him of publicly contradicting ODM’s official position on the pre-election cooperation pact between ODM and President William Ruto’s UDA—a deal that Sifuna has consistently and loudly rejected. ODM argues his public opposition directly undermines the party’s standing and creates confusion among supporters and the general public.
The letter further accuses him of issuing contradictory statements even after participating in collective party agreements, behaviour the party describes as deliberately destabilizing. ODM states that his conduct, taken cumulatively, amounts to actions “prejudicial to the interests, discipline, cohesion, and public standing of the party,” in direct contravention of Article 11(2) of the ODM party constitution.
Sifuna also faces accusations of failing to attend critical party meetings, including the Central Committee meeting held in February—the very meeting that voted to remove him as Secretary General. ODM views his absence as a deliberate act of defiance rather than a scheduling conflict.
Perhaps most damaging is the allegation that Sifuna initiated and engaged in unauthorized political activities through the Linda Wananchi initiative, a faction ODM claims was created entirely outside the officially approved party framework, making its activities illegitimate under party rules.
The Political Tribunal Ruling That Sent Sifuna Back to ODM
Sifuna’s legal battle to reclaim his position suffered a significant blow before ODM even issued the disciplinary letter. The Political Parties Dispute Tribunal dismissed his petition on March 26, refusing to reinstate him as Secretary General and instead directing both Sifuna and ODM to resolve their dispute through ODM’s Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (IDRM).
The tribunal’s ruling effectively handed ODM the upper hand, ordering Sifuna to engage the very party structures he has been fighting against. By issuing the disciplinary summons immediately after the ruling, ODM seized the moment and launched its internal process while Sifuna remains legally bound to participate.
The tribunal’s directive could not have come at a worse time for Sifuna. It stripped away his external legal shield and forced him back into an arena where ODM controls the rules, the committee, and the outcome.
How ODM’s Internal Shake-Up Has Deepened the Rift
ODM’s internal crisis did not begin with Sifuna’s disciplinary letter. The party has been fracturing for months, split between two rival factions pulling it in opposite directions.
The Linda Wananchi faction, led by Sifuna and backed by figures such as Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, firmly plants itself in the opposition corner, resisting any cooperation with President Ruto’s administration. The rival Linda Ground faction, meanwhile, aligns itself with the government and supports the ODM-UDA cooperation framework that Sifuna so vocally opposes.
ODM moved swiftly to reshape its leadership at a special delegates conference on March 27, electing Oburu Odinga as party leader, with Kisii Governor Simba Arati and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir as deputy party leaders. Gladys Wanga secured the national chairperson position, consolidating the pro-government faction’s grip on the party machinery.
The conference also removed Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi — a Sifuna ally — as deputy party leader, sending an unmistakable message that ODM intends to purge the opposition-aligned faction from its structures entirely.
With the disciplinary committee meeting set for April 8, Sifuna faces a defining moment. He can engage in the process and fight from within, or boycott and risk ODM determining his fate without him.
Either way, ODM has made its intentions crystal clear—Sifuna’s time as a senior party official is running out fast.
