Ford Kenya wrangles deepen as party ownership is disputed
George Kebaso @Morarak
Leadership wrangles continued to rock Ford Kenya even as confusion reigned yesterday on who is the bona fide holder of the party’s legal instruments.
The office of the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) wrote separately to the two warring factions pointing out some of the gaps in the party ownership documents they separately deposited early in the week.
Whereas, a faction led by Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi and his Tongaren counterpart Eseli Simiyu reported that they had corrected a little anomaly, the other group led by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula was jubilant that the registrar had maintained a status quo in the party’s leadership.
In his response, the registrar indicated that both factions had committed errors in the filed documents.
Correct mistake
“We have already corrected the mistake that was pointed out by the Registrar, which was a mere signature that me and our party vice chair has already signed and returned to the RPP,” Eseli told People Daily last evening.
There were however strong indications that Wamunyinyi faction was set to effect the ouster following reports that Wetang’ula group had challenges demonstrating that their meeting to ratify the new changes did not achieve quorum.
However, in a rejoinder, Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, the purported new Ford Kenya secretary general according to an overturned decision, the faction claims that in view of the latest developments, the party remains in the hands of legitimate leadership of Wetang’ula.
“Going forward Ford Kenya will now focus on consolidation and stabilisation of its leadership purposely waiting for the National Delegates Council (NDC) to elect National office bearers in relation to grassroots that was going on before the outbreak of coronavirus,” Wamalwa said at a news conference at Simba House, the party’s headquarters.
In a letter to Eseli, the party secretary general, dated June 4, the Political Parties Registrar Anne Nderitu acknowledged receipt of the communication made on May 31, containing complaints and accusations against the deposed party leader, Wetang’ula by members of Ford Kenya which was accompanied by the senator’s own response to the accusations.
