Immediate former Meru Governor Peter Munya says he will move to the court to oppose the recognition of former President Mwai Kibaki as the Party of National Unity leader, saying it is illegal.
Munya, who has been leading the party for some years also threatened to sue the Registrar of Political Parties for contempt if the notice naming of Kibaki as PNU party leader is not withdrawn.
The registrar of political parties, Ms Lucy Ndung’u last week gazetted Kibaki as PNU leader alongside other former officials.
The gazette notice by the registrar stated that the change of PNU leadership followed a judgment by the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal delivered on June 20, 2017, which indicated that “the officials of the interested party in office as at 27th October, 2016 remain the bona fide office bearers of the interested party until a proper general meeting is held to elect national officials”.
Munya, however, termed Lucy Ndungu’s move as “a blatant disregard of the law”.
“Our lawyers wrote to the registrar of political parties on Monday pointing out that a court order is in place stopping the ruling of the tribunal. We gave her 48 hours to correct the same with a new gazette. Our lawyer is moving to court on Thursday to cite her for contempt of she does not act by the closure of business Wednesday,” Munya said.
The Political parties tribunal on June 20, 2017 ordered PNU officials led by Munya to vacate office within seven days but Munya’s team obtained a court order blocking their removal from office.
Munya accused the registrar and the tribunal of making politically motivated decisions, saying the move was linked to 2022 politics.
“The struggle to wrest the party from us to block us from the 2022 politics is being taken to strange levels to the extent of dragging the name of the retired president into the mix,” the former governor said.
In the recent gazette notice by the the Registrar of Political parties Mr John Kamama (Chairman), Irene Muronji (1st Vice chairperson), Paul Amayo (2nd Vice chairperson), John Anunda (Secretary-General), Alphonse Musyoki (Organising Secretary), Mwajuma Rajab (Secretary, Finance), Genery Wando (Deputy Treasurer), Anna Chebet (Director of Elections), Prisca Mwita (National Women Chairperson), Beatrice Cherono (National Youth Chairperson) and Agnes Toya (NEC member) were listed as the bona fide PNU party officials.
“Any person with written submissions concerning the intended changes by the political party shall within seven days deposit them with the Registrar of Political Parties,” the notice reads.
