- Chris Barasa's explusion was announced by Ford Kenya Busia county chairman Emmanuel Osore.
- He was expelled alongside nominated MCA Cynthia Mutere.
Image: EMOJONG OSERE
Busia Ford-Kenya secretary who was recently expelled says he is still the county branch party secretary.
Chris Barasa told the Star he will continue discharging his duties as required by the Ford-Kenya constitution.
Threats from a section of party officials that he is no longer a Ford-Kenya member will not hold, Barasa said.
He said the recent announcement by Ford-Kenya national organising secretary Chris Mandu that he is no longer the party’s secretary “should be treated as rumours”.
“Chris Barasa is still the secretary of Ford-Kenya party in Busia county. I was elected last year by all the delegates from all the subcounties and those at the county level,” he said.
“I am still the county secretary and any meeting that purportedly resolved to expel me from the party did not give me the opportunity for a hearing. They said I had been expelled from the party yet I did not formally receive any letter to that effect.”
Barasa’s ejection from Ford-Kenya was announced by the party’s Busia county chairman Emmanuel Osore after a meeting held by a section of the party's county officials in Busia town on September 13.
Osore accused Barasa of disrespecting Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula who, he said, is the party leader.
Ford Kenya is embroiled in a battle pitting Wetang'ula and Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi who claims to be the party leader.
“Claims that I have been expelled from the party should be treated as rumours. I am still in Ford Kenya. I have been a member since the time of Kijana Wamalwa," he said. Wamalwa was the Vice President during President Mwai Kibaki’s first term in office.
Barasa said Wetang'ula should acknowledge that Wamunyinyi is the Ford-Kenya party leader after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal issued orders blocking the senator from presenting himself as the party leader.
The tribunal also barred the faction led by Wetang’ula from presenting the outcome of the National Executive Committee meeting that was held on August 17 to the office of the Registrar of Political Parties for action pending determination of the case.
“Before the court determination, they called for meeting on August 17 in Nairobi to change the leadership of the party yet the case is still pending,” Barasa said.
“For a party member to be expelled there is a procedure that is to be followed. A party cannot be run like a personal property.”
Edited by Henry Makori