I was removed as ODM NEC member via WhatsApp message — Caleb Amisi claims

Caleb Amisi, Saboti member of parliament.

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has condemned what he termed as a “coup” within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), following his removal as the party’s Deputy Organising Secretary.

Speaking during a press conference held in Nairobi on Thursday, alongside Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and a section of ODM members, Amisi described himself as “the second casualty” in what he claimed is an unlawful restructuring of the party leadership.

“I am the second casualty of this coup. I was removed as the Deputy Organising Secretary via a WhatsApp message. You know very well that in our party’s constitution. To remove a NEC member, it must be a resolution of the NEC. I was removed even before the NEC met,” Amisi claimed.

Amisi questioned the procedural legitimacy of his removal, arguing that it contravened ODM’s internal governance framework.

According to him, as an elected member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), his removal required formal deliberation and resolution by the committee.

The Saboti legislator further emphasised his electoral track record within ODM, pointing out that he has twice won a parliamentary seat on the party’s ticket in what he described as a politically hostile region.

“I am an elected Member of Parliament on an ODM ticket twice from a very volatile, extremely non-ODM zone,” he said.

“From Westlands to the border of Malaba, the only ODM Member of Parliament is Caleb Amisi. And this is the person ODM has removed through a WhatsApp message.”

Amisi termed the developments as a broader ideological and democratic crisis within the party.

Drawing parallels to ODM’s post-2013 election position, he recalled party leader Raila Odinga’s statement that “democracy is on trial.”

“ODM democracy is indeed on trial, it is a sad moment for us to gather here as people who believed in the ideals, ideas and philosophies of Raila Amolo Odinga, to complain about the very party that we have built through blood and sweat,” he said.

The MP escalated his criticism by characterising the leadership changes as a hostile takeover.

“We are here to declare war. There is a coup that has happened in ODM,” he said.

The members of ODM have revealed that they have petitioned their cases in court over the legitimacy of their removal from their posts.