We didn't chase Sifuna from ODM, says Oburu

ODM party leader Oburu Oginga and Nairobi Senator SG Sifuna. [File, Standard]

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Oburu Oginga, has said that the outfit will not revoke the membership of its embattled Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, but insisted that the decision to relieve him of duties stands.

Speaking during a Sunday church service in Makupa, Mombasa County, Oburu dismissed an order blocking Sifuna’s removal issued by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).

According to Oburu, Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo is duly in office and has the blessings of the party organs to exercise powers bestowed upon the office.

“Catherine Omanyo is our SG. The other one was relieved of duties by the party for indiscipline, but we have not expelled him from the party. He (Sifuna) is the SG according to the court, but Omanyo is the party’s choice,” said Oburu.

“Nobody is indispensable, including myself. Should I be found guilty of indiscipline, I should be removed,” he added.

While the message stressed zero intolerance to indiscipline among the party’s rank, Oburu ruled out any expulsions, signaling only relegations from management roles to general membership in the event of such a fallout.

Sifuna’s “punishment” comes amid open defiance of Oburu’s leadership spilling from boardrooms to political rally podiums.

On Sunday, February 15, Sifuna led a well-attended rally in Kitengela, going head-to-head with Oburu’s Linda Ground event at Tononoka Grounds in Mombasa.

Just hours following his ouster, Sifuna addressed a press conference on Thursday, February 12, where he challenged Oburu’s legitimacy as the party leader and questioned his rise to the apex of the party’s leadership.

“I remain a loyal member and the duly elected Secretary General of ODM,” said Sifuna.

The case challenging his ouster will be up for mention on February 26.

The court barred ODM and the Registrar of Political Parties from gazetting Sifuna’s removal, thus handing him more time in the post.

However, the party has called for a National Delegates Convention (NDC) where changes to its leadership will be ratified.