Migori Senator Eddy Oketch has withdrawn a motion seeking the de-whipping and expulsion of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General Edwin Sifuna from the party.

In a letter dated Tuesday, January 6, addressed to ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga, Oketch—through his lawyers, Aguko, Osman and Company—said he had opted to withdraw the motion following consultations with party leader Oburu Oginga. The motion had been filed on Sunday.

The withdrawal follows Oginga’s invocation of Article 16(1)(g) of the ODM constitution, which grants the party leader authority to facilitate the amicable resolution of disputes through alternative mechanisms.

“Being cognizant of the breaches as outlined in our earlier correspondence and the offensive remarks allegedly made by Senator Edwin Sifuna against the party and its members, our client, after consultations with the party leader and relevant party organs, has been persuaded to withdraw the motion letter dated January 5, 2026,” the lawyers stated.

They added that the decision was made “with utmost respect to the spirit of the founding party leader, the late Raila Odinga, who consistently embraced dialogue—even with his fiercest opponents—as the preferred method of dispute resolution.”

Raila Odinga died of a heart attack in October 2025 while in India, aged 80.

In the now-withdrawn motion, Oketch had accused Sifuna of gross misconduct, alleging violations of the ODM constitution and the Political Parties Act. He claimed that Sifuna promoted the interests of rival political parties while serving as ODM secretary general.

The senator further alleged that Sifuna disclosed confidential information regarding ODM’s funding for the 2022 presidential campaign and publicly opposed the party’s decision to support the broad-based government arrangement with President William Ruto.

Oketch had sought Sifuna’s immediate suspension as secretary general, his removal from all parliamentary leadership positions, and the deletion of his name from the ODM membership register.

However, ODM Communications Director Philip Etale told the media on Monday that there were no plans to remove Sifuna from his position.

The withdrawal of the motion comes amid rising internal tensions within ODM following Raila Odinga’s death, which left a leadership vacuum within the opposition as the country heads toward the 2027 General Election.

Suba South MP Caroli Omondi had earlier cautioned Oketch that the complaint lacked legal grounding and could damage his political standing, saying he had advised him to withdraw the letter. Meanwhile, Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga warned of a possible mass exodus of ODM supporters from the Luhya community should efforts to oust Sifuna proceed, dismissing such moves as mere political games.