Saturday, August 6, 2011

Kaparo endorsed to head Ruto party

By MUCHEMI WACHIRA mwachira@ke.nationmedia.com and OLIVER MATHENGE omathenge@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, August 5  2011 at  22:00

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Former National Assembly Speaker Francis ole Kaparo has been endorsed to head the UDM at a meeting attended by leaders from different parts of the country.
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The meeting, which was also attended by Eldoret North MP William Ruto, also gave Mr Kaparo the mandate to reach out to other political parties, which would work with UDM in readiness for next year’s elections.
“I believe I have the experience to bring together all other political parties to work after serving as a Speaker of the National Assembly for 15 years,” he told the meeting he convened at his Naibor home in Laikipia County.
Mr Kaparo said he was ready to bring together all Kenyan communities on board to avoid conflicts that had been witnessed in the past.
Mr Ruto said they would seek accommodation in UDM ahead of next year’s elections.
The Eldoret North MP said he would team up with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka to campaign on a platform of peace.
“This time we want to preach peace and unity and we will never allow Kenyans to fight again because of elections,” Mr Ruto said.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet ministers Chirau Ali Mwakwere and Samuel Poghisio.
At the same time, a group of central Kenya MPs yesterday resolved to form an alliance of parties through which Mr Kenyatta would negotiate with other leaders for the 2012 elections.
The MPs were divided on whether to form a new political party or bring the parties in the region under an alliance. After a vote, most of the MPs resolved to unite the parties in the region into one alliance to be headed by Mr Kenyatta.
The 24 MPs, who met at the Cooperative College in Karen, Nairobi, said that they had resolved to back the Finance minister for the presidency and urged him to start dialogue with other leaders from different regions of the country.
The MPs will meet after two weeks with councillors, elders, businessmen and other leaders from the region in Limuru, where the two issues will be discussed further.
“We have resolved that our torchbearer and leader — to reach out to other like-minded and friendly national leaders, is decidedly Uhuru Kenyatta. We therefore mandate him to enhance dialogue with other national leaders,” they said in a statement read by Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire.
Mr Kenyatta did not attend the meeting.

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