Tribunal set to rule on Jubilee, PNU merger dispute
Meru County Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwang'a (left) chats with Meru Governor Peter Munya during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Meru National Polytechnic on October 20, 2016. The governor wants to be re-elected on a PNU ticket. PHOTO |PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The faction also accused the Registrar of participating in an unlawful decision to allow the impugned gazettement on September 8.
- But the tribunal was quick to warn that misbehaviour in parties should not be tolerated at all, while referring to Mr Kamama’s actions.
The Political Parties Dispute Tribunal will next week rule on whether the merger of Party of National Unity (PNU) with Jubilee Party will forge ahead.
This came up on Friday during the hearing of a case filed by two factions of PNU leaders over a purported gazette merger directive of the party with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s JP.
The wrangling factions have filed three cases before the tribunal touching on the merger issue, which is set to determine whether Meru Governor Peter Munya will defend his seat using its ticket.
“We will deliver our ruling on October 26 at 2.30 pm, the National Delegates Conference as already agreed in a recorded consent will go on as planned,” said the tribunal.
A faction of PNU leaders have accused Mr John Kamama of spearheading the process of taking documents to the Registrar of Political Parties Chair Lucy Ndung’u as the party’s chairperson, to have it gazetted as having agreed to dissolve and merge with Jubilee.
Another group had initially notified the Registrar that the party does not wish to dissolve or merge.
The faction told the court that Mr Kamama, who has presented himself as the party’s chairman, is not its official and has never been gazetted as one, “therefore he went ahead to execute a mandate in an illegal capacity”.
The faction also accused the Registrar of participating in an unlawful decision to allow the impugned gazettement on September 8.
However, the Registrar - through her lawyer - claimed that the cases before the tribunal were premature and should be dismissed since it is the political party’s mandate to ensure that its constitution is followed to the latter.
But the tribunal was quick to warn that misbehaviour in parties should not be tolerated at all, while referring to Mr Kamama’s actions.
“He is the one mostly involved in this matter. If found guilty, why should he not be punished? This kind of behaviour should not be allowed,” the tribunal said.
The faction wants Mr Kamama’s actions aimed at merging PNU with other political parties be declared null and void.
The tribunal has twice issued orders stopping the merger until the case is heard and determined.
Mr Munya - who is set to be made party leader during the much awaited October 28 National Delegates Conference - was present in court.
