Friday, January 27, 2012

PNU Alliance will back Uhuru for top job, say MPs



By MOSES NJAGIH

Party of National Unity (PNU) Alliance has come to the defence of the embattled Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta against calls that he should not contest the presidency after the International Criminal Court (ICC) committed him to trial.
The alliance claimed that Uhuru, who is one of the presidential aspirants under the coalition, will be in the nomination for PNU Alliance’s ticket, even if he will be seeking vindication over crimes against humanity at The Hague.
"Hague or no Hague, Uhuru will be seeking his candidature for presidency. He will be in the ballot for nomination as the PNU Alliance candidate and if he wins the primaries, he will be our candidate," said PNU Alliance convener Kiraitu Murungi.
The Energy Minister said yesterday the alliance will stand behind Uhuru, even as he battles the charges.
Uhuru threw in the towel and resigned yesterday as Finance minister following intense pressure, which has been mounting that he and Francis Muthaura quit office since the charges against them were confirmed.
But during a meeting with all aspirants interested to seek elective positions through the alliance, the coalition vowed to fight those claiming that Uhuru and Eldoret North MP William Ruto should not contest the presidency.
Interest to contest
"We know there are people who want to place a stumbling block on the way so that Uhuru and Ruto do not contest, but as the PNU Alliance, we will be strongly behind them, whether they are at The Hague or in Kenya," said Kiraitu.
The minister said like Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Internal Security minister George Saitoti, who have also indicated their interest to contest the presidency through the alliance, Uhuru will be in the nomination for the single presidential ticket under the coalition.
Njeru Githae, who coincidentally replaced Uhuru at the Finance docket, and Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama said the alliance strongly believed that there was no law that would bar Uhuru from contesting.
"We know those who have been committed to trial are innocent and it is only a matter of time before they are vindicated," said Githae.
Muthama added: "Unless other people made their own laws and start interpreting them in their own way, currently we do not have any law requiring Uhuru not to contest."
Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu said those claiming that Uhuru and Ruto should not contest the presidency are only afraid of facing them at the ballot.
Others who attended the forum at the alliance’s headquarters are ministers Yusuf Haji, Esther Murugi, Assistant minister Cecily Mbarire and MPs Lenny Kivuti, Mohammed Yusuf, Ntoitha N’Mithiaru, Mohammed Affey and Maina Kamau.

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