Court orders party list published

Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u has been ordered to publish a list of all political parties and their members in the next three days.

Justice Mohammed Warsame gave the orders following an application by a lobby group linked to Prime Minister Raila Odinga, which seeks to compel Ms Ndung’u to take action against MPs who defected from parties that sponsored them to Parliament.

Justice Warsame ruled that Kenyans wanted to know which party their MPs belonged to. “It is the responsibility of the Registrar of Political Parties to keep data on all MPs.

“She is therefore directed to prepare and provide the information sought by the applicants in the next three days, failure to which she will have to explain to the court,” said Justice Warsame.

The Friends of Raila (Fora) through chairman Micah Kigen, vice-chairman Hassan Omar Hassan, secretary Eliud Owalo and activist Charles Omanga sought an order directing the registrar to publish information on parties that have complied with the Political Parties Act.

They also want a list of MPs who, despite being members of a particular party, have formed another or promoted the ideologies, interests and policies of a different outfit from the one that sponsored them to Parliament.

Fora says failure to take action against such is a violation of the Constitution and Political Parties Act.

They want an order compelling Ms Ndung’u to write to Parliament Speaker Kenneth Marende to declare their seats vacant.

If the petition is successful, a number of MPs will have to seek a fresh mandate from the people.

Among them are Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta, who ditched Kanu for The National Alliance and Musalia Mudavadi, who defected from ODM to join the United Democratic Front.

Eldoret North MP William Ruto and his allies in the United Republican Party who moved from ODM also risk losing their seats while Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi and Mathira’s Ephraim Maina got a reprieve after a court stopped their expulsion from the parties that sent them to the House.

Fora accuses Ms Ndung’u of failing to ensure that no person is a member of more than one political party despite declarations by some MPs that they have switched allegiance and public disobedience of the Political Parties Act. The petition will be heard on June 5.