Ministers vow to oust Kombo in party polls

Two Cabinet Ministers and an MP have vowed to wrestle Ford-Kenya leadership from chairman Musikari Kombo in disputed elections scheduled for Saturday.

If Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula, Labour’s John Munyes and Kimilili MP Simiyu Eseli have their way, they will harm Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa’s efforts to lead Ford-Kenya and vie for presidency on its ticket.

The two ministers and Mr Eseli addressed a press conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi Thursday where they announced their readiness for the National Delegates Conference slated for Bomas of Kenya.

Mr Wetangula said five delegates from each of the 210 constituencies will attend the conference to elect national officials. The Sirisia MP is interested in the newly created party leader position while first vice-chairman Joel Ruhu is likely to vie for the chairmanship.

Defend seat

Mr Kombo had said he would not defend his seat but would throw his weight behind Mr Wamalwa to succeed him.

Former Cabinet minister Mukhisa Kituyi was said to have been interested in the party leadership slot under Mr Wamalwa’s line-up and former Agriculture minister Kipruto Kirwa was to contest the secretary general slot.

Those in Mr Kombo’s group did not, however, participate in the recent grassroots elections that national treasurer Al Hajj Baricha said had cost the party Sh7 million.

The NDC and the polls are to cost a total of at least Sh15 million and Mr Baricha said they would be financed from the money given under the Political Parties Act and its own kitty.

Last week, an Eldoret Court stopped the Ford-Kenya elections, while the Registrar of Political Parties called for the formation of an arbitration team to resolve disputes in the party.

However, Mr Wetangula and his group, who included at least 10 other senior officials, vowed to go ahead with the elections. He added that Ford-Kenya needs a new vibrant leadership to be a competitive national party.

Mr Munyes and Mr Wetangula said the party had not received the court order and that it had no mandate to stop the polls.

“Everybody knows the Political Parties Act was passed to bring sanity and order management of political parties. There’s no provision in law to resolve problems in court,” Mr Wetangula said.

Vie for positions

Mr Wetangula and Mr Munyes said there is no dispute in Ford-Kenya and that Mr Kombo and his group are free to attend Saturday’s elections and vie for positions.

The Ford-K constitution, they said, allows the vice-chairman to chair the NDC if the chairman fails to attend.

Mr Munyes said it is Mr Kombo who launched the grassroots elections after being approved by the National Executive Council and, according to him, they were the most successful since he joined Ford-K.

“The National Election Board has done its bit and we are now about to finalise the process. For a party to survive it must recruit members, hold regular elections, field candidates in elections and file returns,” Mr Munyes said.

He said 190 constituencies out of the 210 had submitted returns of the grassroots elections by Thursday.

Mr Munyes also asked Turkana Central MP Ekwe Ethuro who addressed a press conference with Mr Kombo at Serena Hotel on Tuesday on the polls to keep off Ford-Kenya “as he is PNU director of elections.”

Mr Eseli said it seemed Mr Kombo and his team had not prepared for elections “and that is why they want it cancelled.”

He also cautioned against campaigns for constitution being used by some individuals for political mileage.

Under the Ford-Kenya constitution, elections are supposed to be held after ever five years.

Mr Wetangula and Dr Kituyi lost to Mr Kombo in last elections of the “Lion” party.