The party argues that its internal disciplinary panel, not the tribunal, must first finish its work before any external intervention.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has drawn a firm legal line before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT): You have no jurisdiction – not yet.
At the centre of the storm is Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who returned to the tribunal for a second time, desperately seeking protection from being officially stripped of his position as ODM Secretary General. But on Monday, April 20, 2026, ODM’s legal team delivered a counter‑punch that could send the entire matter back into the party’s internal machinery.
‘Let the disciplinary panel finish its work’
Appearing before the tribunal, ODM lawyers argued that the party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanism (IDRM) is already active. Until that process reaches a conclusion, they said, the PPDT has no legal footing to step in.
“We submit that in this case, the tribunal has already made a finding that it has no jurisdiction,” the ODM legal team told the tribunal. “Given that there is a body vested with jurisdiction established by ODM – that is the disciplinary process panel – this tribunal would ultimately have jurisdiction, but only after that panel has adjudicated the issues and rendered a decision.”
The party urged the tribunal to remit the matter back to the ongoing disciplinary panel, effectively pausing external litigation while internal party justice takes its course.
A ruling already on the books
This is not the first time the tribunal has wrestled with the Sifuna saga. On April 9, 2026, the PPDT – led by acting chairperson Gad Gathu – refused to issue conservatory orders blocking ODM’s disciplinary proceedings against the Senator. At that time, the tribunal made it clear: it would not stay a party’s internal processes.
However, the tribunal did offer Sifuna a lifeline. While allowing ODM to proceed with its disciplinary hearings, the panel barred the party from reaching any final conclusion or rendering a binding decision until Sifuna’s current application is fully heard and determined.
That legal limbo is precisely what ODM now wants to escape.
Why this matters for Kenyan politics
The fight over Sifuna’s scalp is more than a personal duel. It is a proxy battle for the soul of ODM – a party still reeling from leadership wars, factional rallies, and competing claims to the throne. If the tribunal forces ODM to slow down or reverse its internal process, it could embolden other dissenting voices. If the tribunal agrees to remit the case back to the party, it strengthens the hand of party discipline over judicial intervention.
For Sifuna, the stakes are career‑defining. Losing the SG seat would strip him of a powerful political platform and send a clear message: cross the party line at your own peril.
What happens next?
The tribunal is expected to rule on ODM’s jurisdiction objection in the coming days. If it agrees with the party, Sifuna’s fate will be decided entirely behind closed doors by ODM’s disciplinary panel – a panel the senator has already accused of bias. If the tribunal insists on keeping the matter, the legal chess match continues.
One thing is certain: ODM is not blinking.
