NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 4 – A rift has emerged within the Party of National Unity after the Chairman John Kamama disowned the endorsement of NASA Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga by his Party Leader and former Meru Governor Peter Munya in the planned Presidential Election Re-run whose date is yet to be known.
In a statement rubbishing the announcement made by former Meru Governor, Kamama said PNU is firmly and solidly backing the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta as it had been resolved by party delegates in May.
Kamama told Capital FM News in a telephone interview that Munya and his faction that he paraded during a news conference held with NASA Principals were not members of the party.
He cited a judgment passed by the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal on June 20 that declared that they are not National Executive Committee members.
Kamama further said the Party Secretary General John Okemwa Anunda who accompanied Munya had been stripped of his authority to sign any document for the party by the National Executive Council.
The tribunal ruled in favour of petitioner Alphonce Mbida that the party officials were not properly elected and were in office illegally. It ordered its officials to vacate office within seven days.
The tribunal also ruled that party leader Peter Munya’s team, which took office on October 28, 2016, hand over office to the previous officials until a proper delegates’ meeting is held.
Kamama said that the tribunal found Munya had acted irregularly in convening more than 3,000 delegates converged at the Bomas of Kenya, where he would later declare that he was unanimously elected leader.
Kamama provided a Kenya Gazette Notice whereby the Register of Political Parties recognises former President Mwai Kibaki as the Party Leader, Kamama as the Chairman, Irene Muronji and Paul Amayo as the first and second Vice Chairpersons while John Anunda is the Secretary General.
The two leaders have been feuding over the decision by Kamama to push for the dissolution of the party to join the new Jubilee Party with Munya claiming the party cannot fold up without being sanctioned at party delegates meeting.
