Top ANC official Barrack Muluka resigns

The secretary general of the Amani National Congress (ANC) Barrack Muluka resigned Wednesday.

Mr Muluka said he has fulfilled all the assignments handed to him by the party during his appointment.

He added that his exit will now allow ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi to give the party a new lease of life.

“I doubt I could add more value to what I have done so far. Moreover, it is now fitting that the space around you should be de-congested. This will allow you to make critical decisions on the population and leadership under the new constitution.” Mr Muluka said in his resignation letter.

Mr Muluka said he had also written to the Registrar of Political Parties to strike out his name as the secretary general as well as a member of ANC.

The new Constitution adopted by the ANC a few days ago is suspected to be among the chief reasons for the departure of Mr Muluka from the party.

“The coming into being of a new constitution a few days ago, especially, gives ANC a good chance for a fresh start and a new lease of life,” Mr Muluka said in his letter.

The renowned political analyst had been under pressure for months after a section of ANC members claimed his term in office expired earlier this year.

One of Mr Muluka's critics, nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi, took him to court over the secretary general post shortly after his appointment. The case is still ongoing.

While addressing the press in June, Mr Osostsi said that all the current ANC party officials’ term in office, including Mr Mudavadi's, had lapsed. 

“Our constitution says term of office for all our party officials is five years and this party was registered on June 15, 2015, ” Mr Osotsi said.

Mr Muluka was officially appointed as the ANC secretary general in November 2017 after a gazette notice dated October 30 said that he took over from Godfrey Osotsi who was nominated to the National Assembly.

While welcoming him to the party when he joined, Mr Mudavadi expressed optimism that Mr Muluka would bring more value to the team.

Prior to his appointment, the then Registrar of Political Parties, Lucy Ndung’u declined his nomination saying that she had received a complaint from a member of the party. The complainant, Evans Nyaribo, claimed that due process was not followed in Mr Muluka’s appointment.

However the national executive committee and parliamentary group agreed that Muluka would serve until further notice.

Mr Muluka has previously worked with the opposition leader Raila Odinga as campaign director of communications.

Mr Muluka paid a crucial role in the writing of Mudavadi’s biography “Soaring Above the Storms of Passion” which was published and launched last year.