Wetang’ula on brink of losing Ford-Kenya leadership to rivals

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula may as well kiss goodbye the leadership of Ford Kenya after he suffered a setback in the control of the party that now appears headed firmly under the grip of Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu.

This comes after the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) Ann Nderitu published a notice of intent, in the Kenya Gazette, seeking views on the proposed replacement of Mr Wetang’ula with Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi as the party leader.

But a difficult litigious road that is likely to start at the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) all the way to the Supreme Court lies ahead for the two rivals in the Lion party’s dispute.

The notice of June 8, 2020, also sought views on the intent to have Mr Mandu Mandu replaced by Ms Josephine Maungu as the Organising Secretary.

“Any person with written submissions concerning the intended change by the political party shall within seven days from the date herein, deposit them with the Registrar of Political Parties,” Ms Nderitu said.

Dr Simiyu, the party’s Secretary-General, last week led a faction that announced that Mr Wetang’ula had been deposed from the party’s leadership.

The development saw a counter announcement by the Wetang’ula faction, kicking out Dr Eseli and Mr Wamunyinyi.

In the process, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) became a beehive of activity as the two groups staked legitimacy for control of the party.

Dr Eseli’s group called the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) where Mr Wamunyinyi was installed the party leader, Ms Maungu the organising secretary and Ms Cynthia Mutere as chairperson of the party’s women league.

They also announced that Mr Wetang’ula will remain a party member on condition that he respects the new leadership or face disciplinary action.

But even as this happened, the rival group said Mr Wetang’ula was still the party leader, but announced Kiminini MP Dr Chris Wamalwa as the new secretary-general taking over from Dr Eseli.

The Wetang’ula group also announced the suspension from the party of Dr Eseli, Mr Wamunyinyi and Ms Mutere.

Documents filed at the registrar’s office showed that Mr Wetang’ula had run down the party and had refused to respond to show cause letters sent to him or even appear before the party’s disciplinary committee to state his case.

“We are taking the party from cartels who have made it lose influence even in its Western Kenya stronghold. We will revamp it and make it even stronger,” Dr Eseli said noting that for the last nine years  that Mr Wetang’ula has been in charge, the party has not held any elections.

However, Dr Chris Wamalwa said that it is too early for Dr Eseli’s faction to start celebrating.

“There is no alarm only that it should have been fair if the registrar had waited for us to file the requisite documents as directed by her office, before placing the notice of intent to make the changes,” Dr Wamalwa said.

Nevertheless, Dr Wamalwa noted that he has since filed the PP7 form as directed by Ms Nderitu and that their documents are now in order.

At the registrar’s office, there are two forms — PP3 and PP7.

PP3 is the form the party files expressing an intention to change its officials while PP7 is the one filed when the party is applying for the gazettement of its officials.

In April this year, the Jubilee Party had a dispute over the expansion of its National Management Committee (NMC).

While the faction allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta supported the changes, the one allied to his deputy William Ruto objected.

DP Ruto’s side appealed to the PPDT, which referred the issue back to an internal organ of the party — the Dispute Resolution Mechanism.

An independent committee was appointed and later dismissed the complaint as lacking merit in law.

The DP group did not consider going back to the PPDT as the matter rested.

Yesterday while appearing on Sulwe FM, a local radio station that broadcasts in Western Kenya where Ford Kenya enjoys considerable following, Dr Simiyu told Mr Wetang’ula to swallow humble pie and relinquish the leadership.

"Immediately after the 2017 general elections, I received a number of complaints not only from our members, but elected leaders over poor leadership by Wetang’ula. Something needed to be addressed," said Dr Eseli.