• Political leaders have been championing a political vehicle for Mt Kenya East ahead of the 2022 general election.
• Political Parties Registrar Anne Nderitu has put a stop to the changes and directed party members to handle the dispute internally.
Image: HANDOUT
Political bigwigs from Mt Kenya East have run into trouble with their efforts to rebrand Restore and Build Kenya party as the region’s political vehicle for the 2022 elections.
The party’s founder members, led by former Education PS James Kiyiapi, have opposed the plans, saying the takeover was not been handled procedurally.
“Restore and Build Kenya Party (RBK) is purportedly being taken by people we consider strangers. We have contested that move with ORPP,” Kiyiapi tweeted.
Political Parties Registrar Anne Nderitu, following the petition, has put a stop to the changes and directed party members to handle the dispute internally.
Mondoh Okotch, commenting as RBK spokesman, said they were not privy to information about the proposed leadership changes.
“As you are aware, constitutionality demands that if there are changes in a party, they must be brought in accordance with the law. As far as we are concerned, me being one of the founder members of RBK and founder CEO, we are not privy to this information,” Okotch told the Star on Tuesday.
He said they petitioned the parties’ registrar after seeing the gazette notice informing the public of the proposed leadership changes.
“We have disagreed with the registrar on her gazette notice. She has stopped the process until we go back as a party and sort the matter out,” the RBK founder CEO said.
Former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti and other politicians from Mt Kenya, who are key figures in the conversation, are the proposed new officials of RBK.
Kivuti, in the proposed changes published by the Office of Registrar of Political Parties, is poised to be the party’s national chairman.
He is set to take over from Solomon Ouko. Watson Kimathi has been proposed as party leader, deputised by Rael Fatuma Murungi.
Lawyer Mugambi Imanyara, who unsuccessfully contested the Meru Senate seat in the 2017 election, is the proposed secretary general.
He dismissed claims by Kiyiapi and Okotch, saying the two should check the party's membership register before branding the new officials as strangers.
"We are not strangers but members of the party just as he is. We are more than 60,000 members. If he checks the register and finds we are not members, then he can call us strangers," he said.
Imanyara said the party has not received any complaints from Kiyiapi or any other person regarding the election of new officials.
"The procedure is that a complaint must be filed with the party then the party can process that particular through the right channel. Maybe he has complained to some other entities but not to the party," he said.
Imanyara said as far as they are concerned, Okotch holds no office in the party and could be a member just like any other.
Other proposed new officials are Joseph Kipwambok (deputy national chairperson), Njagi M’Muga (deputy secretary general), Eunice Karema (national treasurer) and Emilio Kathuri (organising secretary).
Ruth Gichengi is poised to be chairperson of Women Convention, Pamela Gitobu as chair youth convention, Mutuma Dennis as director of elections and Zeyruq Ahmed Sheikh as secretary of special interest group.
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi on Tuesday restated their desire to form a regional party, saying they want to be independent of the control by their counterparts from Mt Kenya West.
The governor is part of a team of political leaders who have been championing a political vehicle for Mt Kenya East ahead of next year's general election.
He said their plan was to have an outfit that will outlive the Jubilee Party, calling on their counterparts to respect the decision.
“We want to be independent. We are not talking about the Uhuru government, which we support. Jubilee will be a weak party in the next elections. We are looking post-Uhuru regime,” Murungi said.
“We are saying we have to be in the next government as a region. We have to be where leaders are dividing the national cake,” the governor added.
RBK officials due for replacement are Duncan Otieno (party leader), Ruth Ocholla (deputy party leader), Solomon Onyango (deputy national chairperson), Jakait Sangalo (secretary general).
Others are Adam Mwafrika (deputy secretary general), Jane Muthoni (national treasurer), Wilhyde Mulobi (organising secretary), Ann Mutheu, Timothy Mwendwa, Elvis Mwaura, Chrispine Awuonda, and Solomon Kipkeny.
Okotch said the party would form a dispute resolution team once it sorts out the issue of its secretary general who has since resigned.
He said they have no problem with other people joining the party, being a public institution, “but they need to do so procedurally and can seek any position they may desire.”