Ford People leaders seek to stop party dissolution

Albert Nyaundi of Ford People casts his vote in Bomachoge in the past. A section of Ford People party officials have sought a court order barring the dissolution of the party. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

A section of Ford People party officials have sought a court order barring the dissolution of the party.

They want the matter be heard and determined as a matter of urgency ahead of the planned merger with Jubilee Party on September 9.

The application was filed Thursday in the  Political Parties Disputes Tribunal in Nairobi by a party official, Mr Jerry Kenyansa, against party interim chairman Mr Albert Nyaundi as the first respondent and Ford People as the second respondent.

He said the move to dissolve the party had been made without consulting the party owners and founders.

Mr Kenyansa said the party was still intact and termed the recent announcement of its pending dissolution “hasty and illegal”.

“We wish that a temporary order be issued restraining the respondents from convening any meeting on behalf of the second respondent to discuss the dissolution of the party pending the hearing and determination of the suit,” said the application in part.

The application further gags the planning meeting of the members planned on September 8 to rubberstamp the move to merge with the Jubilee Party.
“We want any such meeting to be stopped until the hearing and determination of this application is heard,” the application went on.

The application further seeks to bar Mr Nyaundi from acting as the party chairperson pending the determination of the suit.

Mr Kenyansa also argued that a temporary injunction be issued to the party boss stopping him from handing a notice to the registrar of parties the dissolution of the party pending determination of the suit.

Party Youth leader Mr Steve Arika told the Nation by phone that the dissolution of the party was being rushed and that Party Patron Mr Simeon Nyachae had not been informed.

Ford People party members led by Mr Nyaundi recently held a meeting at Sameta, Bobasi Sub-County during which they announced their intention to dissolve the party and join the Jubilee Party.

Former Constitution Implementation Commission chairman Charles Nyachae made a brief appearance at the function but left without speaking.
A section of party members have since come out to denounce the move to dissolve the party as misplaced and in bad taste.

“We were not aware that the party had been auctioned off by our interim party leader without our blessings. It is a very disturbing development that we cannot take lying down,” Mr Gerald Mokaya, a party member told the Nation.