DP SUSPENDS MACHAGE

The political star of Kuria MP Wilfred Machage dimmed even further after the Democratic Party suspended him as chairman Thursday.

The punishment came just a week after Mr Machage was suspended as assistant minister for Roads after being charged over alleged hate speech.

DP’s National Executive Council resolved to suspend the politician after vice-chairman Rishad Amana questioned his remarks on the land clause during the No secretariat launch.

Sources, who attended the NEC meeting at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi, said although party leader Joseph Munyao was unhappy with Mr Amana’s move to tell the media they will discuss Mr Machage’s statements majority of the 37-member NEC rallied behind the vice-chairman.

Mr Amana is said to have threatened not to attend any DP meeting except the National Delegates Conference, where he could raise the matter if no action is taken against the Kuria MP.

Dividing Kenyans

Mr Amana, who is also the chairman of Muslim Youth of Kenya, argued that DP’s constitution abhors incitement and that all Kenyans should live in peace and unity.

Quoting Article 21 and Article 22 of DP constitution, he accused Mr Machage of dividing Kenyans and that he ought to be suspended.

And addressing the press after the meeting, secretary general Chris Murungaru, Mr Munyao, Mr Amana and other officials said Mr Machage had been suspended and a three member ad hoc committee formed to investigate his utterances.

The committee, they said, have until next Thursday to decide whether Mr Machage’s statement contravened the party’s ideal and if so he would be totally kicked out of the party.

The suspension means Mr Machage will not be allowed to attend the party meetings until he is cleared of allegations levelled against him.

But contacted by the Nation, Mr Machage downplayed the suspension saying: “Right now I am concerned with the matter of the constitution.”

“Nothing else should cross my mind,” Mr Machage said and declined to give further comments.

The MP, who has since dared President Kibaki to sack him, has denied issuing inciting remarks and vowed to continue campaigning for the defeat of the proposed constitution.

Also discussed in Thursday’s NEC meeting were plans by the party to launch its website, which was rescheduled from July 12 to July 20 to avoid coinciding with the Matuga by-elections.

Last week, Mr Amana who is in-charge of discipline in DP, had said the NEC meeting was to be held on Tuesday but was later rescheduled.

Wrongdoing

He said Mr Machage’s link to hate speech had nothing to do with DP.

Mr Machage spent a night in police custody and was charged in a court with hate speech last Wednesday. President Kibaki then suspended him as an assistant minister a day later until the courts clear him of any wrongdoing.

He was charged with two other MPs allied to the No camp with incitement to violence.

Mr Machage and Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi denied the charges and are out on Sh100,000 bond each.

Their Cherangany counterpart Joshua Kutuny was separately charged with distributing leaflets in Kitale town in May asking all non-Pokots, Sengwer, and Sabaots to leave the area before the referendum. He is out on a Sh200,000 bond.

Mr Amana said it is wrong for any leader to issue statements that could incite Kenyans against each other at a time when the country was still reeling from the effects of 2007 post election chaos.