Businessman Jimmy Wanjigi’s presidential ambition now hangs in balance after an ODM member moved to court to question his party membership.
Nyeri politician Cathy Irungu has accused the party of failing to conduct an objective ethics and integrity test on ODM ticket contender Jimmy Wanjigi.
According to court documents, the petitioner argues that the presidential hopeful is not an official member of the ODM party stating that Wanjigi failed to meet the constitutional requirements to be an ODM member.
Irungu argues that ODM’s decision to hand Wanjigi a life membership whose application was never presented to nor approved by a properly convened National Executive Committee as is required by the party’s constitution undermines the party’s position as a reputable political outfit in Kenya.
“That the respondent (ODM) has jointly and severally joined efforts with strangers to the party including the interested party herein (Wanjigi), with an aim of embarrassing the functioning and integrity of the political party of nationwide repute,” read court papers.
Through advocate Edwin Saluny of Saluny Advocates, the petitioner now wants Jimmy Wanjigi stopped from further causing confusion to the party and its members.
The Nyeri politician also told the court that the respondent be stopped from further plunging the membership into confusion by misapplying the Constitution as he has been causing confusion in Raila Odinga’s party.
“The respondent has sabotaged the party’s prerequisites of ethics and integrity as enunciated in the constitution of the party with the predisposition and effect of actually paralyzing the party and causing tremendous confusion to the members thereof,” she stated.
In September 2021, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna threatened to lock Jimmy Wanjigi out of the party’s presidential ticket saying he could be having bad intentions for the party.
“His intention is not to support the party. He has ulterior intentions that he will tell us when the time is right,” Sifuna said.
