Ford-Kenya row escalates as officials are expelled

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula’s faction in Ford-Kenya on Monday voted to expel Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu and his Kanduyi counterpart Wafula Wamunyinyi, kick-starting a fresh storm in the troubled party.

While Mr Wetang’ula said the expulsion of Dr Simiyu, who served as the party’s secretary-general, and Mr Wamunyinyi, who was voted by the Simiyu faction as the new party leader to take over from the Bungoma senator, was legal, the Simiyu faction said the decision was against a court order and, at any rate, lacked quorum.

“Discipline is the cardinal principle in our party. This journey will not be possible if there are cases of indiscipline,” Mr Wetang’ula said in Nairobi on Monday.

Also expelled by the Wetang’ula group was Busia nominated ward representative, Ms Cynthia Mutere.

But Dr Simiyu dismissed the decision, describing it as laughable.

Matters in court

“The expulsion is neither here nor there. These matters are in court. We were kind to remove him as a party leader without expelling him. If he doesn’t stop his excesses, we shall summon the NEC to expel him instead,” Dr Simiyu told the Nation

In Kisumu, Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, who hosted 25 national executive committee (NEC) members from North Rift, Nyanza and Western, supported Dr Simiyu, saying Mr Wetang’ula does not bear any authority.

“The so called Ford Kenya NEC meeting that sanctioned the sacking of the new office bearers is a meeting that never was and therefore his directives are null and void,” said Mr Wangamati who was flanked by the national chairman, Mr Lwande Oneko, and other Ford Kenya leaders from Western.

According to Mr Wangamati, while the Kisumu meeting was going on, Mr Wamunyinyi was hosting 25 NEC Members in Nairobi. Ford Kenya has a total of 75 NEC members, 50 of whom Mr Wangamati said were with the newly appointed officials led by Mr Wamunyinyi.

Court orders

“According to the Ford-Kenya constitution, the secretary-general is the one who can issue a notice for all NEC meetings and not any other party official ... the NEC meeting on August 17 is null and void and is hereby cancelled,” Dr Simiyu told the party in a letter dated August 15.

Mr Wetang’ula, however, disputed Mr Simiyu’s assertions: “The SG is not a person but an office. Milicent Anyango Abudho, the deputy SG, is now acting in that capacity as we look for a substantive SG. This NEC meeting is legal and its recommendations are legal,” said Mr Wetang’ula.

In a letter dated August 14 addressed to Mr Wetang’ula, Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu acknowledged receipt of his notice received on July 27 of a joint NEC and parliamentary group meeting.

Ms Nderitu also made reference to another letter dated July 24 putting on hold any such meetings up to and until the Covid-19 situation in the country improves.

In her response, Ms Nderitu advised Mr Wetang’ ula to take note of the President’s directives on public and political gatherings.

On Monday, Mr Wetang’ula took a swipe at the registrar, asking her to uphold valid court orders.

“Court orders are not issued in vain. We want to ask the registrar not to entertain rebels in any party. One would think you are encouraging rebel behaviour,” said Mr Wetang’ula.

The warring factions had agreed that they would resolve the leadership dispute internally after the registrar published a notice of intent in the Kenya Gazette on June 8, seeking views on the proposed replacement of Mr Wetang’ula with Mr Wamunyinyi as the party leader.  This has, however, not worked to date as they continue to wrangle.

[email protected]                                                                                                          Reporting by Patrick Lang’at, Ibrahim Oruko, and Rushdie Oudia.