The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has thrown out a case contesting the removal of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as Secretary-General of the Orange Democratic Movement, delivering a significant setback to the Linda Mwananchi faction aligned with him.
In a ruling issued on Thursday, March 26, the tribunal’s acting chairperson Gad Gathu determined that the body could not hear the matter at this stage. He noted that Sifuna had prematurely filed the case without first exhausting the party’s Internal Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (IDRM), which are mandatory in such disputes.
According to the tribunal, internal party structures must be the first avenue for resolving disagreements before any external legal intervention is sought. As a result, the case was dismissed on procedural grounds rather than on its substantive merits.
The tribunal further directed both Sifuna and ODM to return to the party’s internal dispute resolution framework and attempt to settle the matter there before escalating it further. This effectively pauses any external legal challenge and shifts the spotlight back to ODM’s internal processes.
The decision underscores the importance of adhering to established dispute resolution channels within political parties, especially in high-stakes leadership wrangles. It also leaves Sifuna with limited immediate options, as he must now navigate the party’s internal systems before considering any renewed legal action.