Raila, Uhuru, Ruto in top election gear

• Ruto unveils new party, United Republican Party (URP) on Thursday.
• Raila leads an ODM strategic leaders’ conference to discuss the General Election.
• Uhuru chairs Kanu’s national executive council meeting to ratify a new constitution on Friday.
• Saitoti and Kalonzo to kick off PNU Alliance’s recruitment drive in Nairobi on Friday. Kalonzo to hold rally in Kajiado in the afternoon

With only a day before the High Court rules on the date of the next election, politicians have got down to business, preparing their parties to meet the legal requirements of this year’s polls.

They have been warned that parties which would not have completed member recruitment and elections by May will not take part in the General Election.

And those without parties, such as Eldoret North MP William Ruto who was recently edged out of United Democratic Movement (UDM), are quickly making arrangements to join and launch new ones.

Mr Ruto and his group will unveil their new party on Thursday morning.

His former party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), will also be holding a high-level meeting in Nairobi for the first time since holding grassroots polls.

Acting Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u has warned that she will strike off parties which will not have registered members and held elections by May 1.

“Beginning May 1, I will have the files to examine and tell which party has met all the requirements of the law,” she said on Wednesday.

New parties which hope to field candidates in the next election must ensure that they have complied one month to the vote.

The Political Parties Act says that for one to contest the election, he or she must have been a member of a political party at least 30 days to the poll.

Mr Ruto is on Thursday morning expected to lead an estimated 40 MPs in unveiling their new party. (READ: Ruto to announce new party for top seat bid)

The party is likely to be the little-known United Republican Party (URP). Mr Ruto and his allies were edged out of UDM by a faction led by secretary-general Martin ole Kamwaro.

A statement from the ODM secretariat said Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy, Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi, will head a leaders’ conference at the KCB Centre in Karen from 9am. (READ: ODM calls strategy meeting to plot future)

On Friday, it will be the turn of Kanu national chairman Uhuru Kenyatta to chair the party’s National Executive Council meeting to discuss and endorse far-reaching changes to the party’s constitution.

On the other hand, the PNU Alliance will launch its recruitment drive at Kenyatta International Conference Centre on Friday morning.

The launch has been convened by Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and PNU chief whip Johnstone Muthama.

Those expected at the function, initially scheduled for Tuesday, are Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, PNU leader George Saitoti and Mr Kenyatta.

Block public officers

Parties are required to register at least 1,000 members in at least 24 counties, hold fresh elections and block public officers, such as Cabinet ministers, from holding positions.