Peter Kenneth resigns from KNC as he prepares to launch bid for Nairobi governor's seat
Former Gatanga member of Parliament and presidential candidate Peter Kenneth (right) and former Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa at the Michael Joseph Centre in Nairobi on July 16, 2014. PHOTO | GERALD ANDERSON | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
He apparently sought the simplest way to stop the attacks from some Jubilee Party MPs, who last week gave him a two-week ultimatum to dissolve his Congress party.
The former Gatanga MP wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties, Ms Lucy Ndung’u, last week, tendering his resignation as a member of the the party.
Former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth has resigned from his Kenya National Congress party as he prepares to launch his bid for the Nairobi governor’s seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.
Mr Kenneth dropped his presidential ambitions to support the re-election of President Kenyatta. He apparently sought the simplest way to stop the attacks from some Jubilee Party MPs, who last week gave him a two-week ultimatum to dissolve his Congress party.
The former Gatanga MP wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties, Lucy Ndung’u, last week, tendering his resignation as a member of the the party.
“Be informed that effective the date of this letter, I have resigned from membership of KNC. Please strike my name from the register of members with immediate effect,” says the letter dated November 8.
Last week, Kieni MP Kanini Kega and Water Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa challenged Mr Kenneth to dissolve his party and join Jubilee to demonstrate his resolve to support the re-election of President Kenyatta.
However, Mr Kenneth rebutted: “I have no party to fold, I do not own any party. I am just a member and I have submitted my resignation to the Registrar of Political Parties, after which I will be joining JP as a member.”
On Thursday, Ms Ndung’u confirmed that her office had received Mr Kenneth’s letter. “The letter is very clear and straightforward. We normally have seven days to consider the notice and we have effected it,” she said by phone.
The decision to quit Congress was to avoid the costly and lengthy process that Mr Kenneth would have had to undertake to dissolve his party. As a member of the Jubilee Party, he will fight against a team of rivals who have ganged up against him.
On Monday, Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko, MPs Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South) and Johnson Sakaja (nominated) and former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru agreed to block Mr Kenneth from contesting the Nairobi governor’s seat.
