Thursday, January 12, 2012

Raila, Uhuru, Ruto in top election gear



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By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, January 11  2012 at  22:00
IN SUMMARY
  • Ruto unveils new party, United Republican Party (URP) on Thursday.
  • Raila leads an ODM strategic leaders’ conference to discuss the General Election.
  • Uhuru chairs Kanu’s national executive council meeting to ratify a new constitution on Friday.
  • Saitoti and Kalonzo to kick off PNU Alliance’s recruitment drive in Nairobi on Friday. Kalonzo to hold rally in Kajiado in the afternoon
With only a day before the High Court rules on the date of the next election, politicians have got down to business, preparing their parties to meet the legal requirements of this year’s polls.
They have been warned that parties which would not have completed member recruitment and elections by May will not take part in the General Election.
And those without parties, such as Eldoret North MP William Ruto who was recently edged out of United Democratic Movement (UDM), are quickly making arrangements to join and launch new ones.
Mr Ruto and his group will unveil their new party on Thursday morning.
His former party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), will also be holding a high-level meeting in Nairobi for the first time since holding grassroots polls.
Acting Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u has warned that she will strike off parties which will not have registered members and held elections by May 1.
“Beginning May 1, I will have the files to examine and tell which party has met all the requirements of the law,” she said on Wednesday.
New parties which hope to field candidates in the next election must ensure that they have complied one month to the vote.
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The Political Parties Act says that for one to contest the election, he or she must have been a member of a political party at least 30 days to the poll.
Mr Ruto is on Thursday morning expected to lead an estimated 40 MPs in unveiling their new party. (READ: Ruto to announce new party for top seat bid)
The party is likely to be the little-known United Republican Party (URP). Mr Ruto and his allies were edged out of UDM by a faction led by secretary-general Martin ole Kamwaro.
A statement from the ODM secretariat said Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy, Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi, will head a leaders’ conference at the KCB Centre in Karen from 9am. (READ: ODM calls strategy meeting to plot future)
On Friday, it will be the turn of Kanu national chairman Uhuru Kenyatta to chair the party’s National Executive Council meeting to discuss and endorse far-reaching changes to the party’s constitution.
On the other hand, the PNU Alliance will launch its recruitment drive at Kenyatta International Conference Centre on Friday morning.
The launch has been convened by Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and PNU chief whip Johnstone Muthama.
Those expected at the function, initially scheduled for Tuesday, are Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, PNU leader George Saitoti and Mr Kenyatta.
Block public officers
Parties are required to register at least 1,000 members in at least 24 counties, hold fresh elections and block public officers, such as Cabinet ministers, from holding positions.
On Wednesday, Dujis MP Aden Duale, an ally of Mr Ruto, said: “We will have a press conference tomorrow (Thursday) at 10am. We will let you know the venue before the end of the day. We expect all our 40 MPs, including Cabinet ministers, to attend the press conference.”
Among those expected at the press conference will be three Cabinet ministers hitherto identified with PNU, Kanu and Wiper Democratic Movement, sources said.
They include Information minister Samuel Poghisio, who is the chairman of the Wiper Democratic Movement, Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaban, who was sponsored to Parliament by Kanu and Trade minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere, who rode on a PNU ticket to win the Matuga by-election.
Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, who was elected to the 10th Parliament on a Kaddu ticket, will also be in attendance.
“On Sunday we shall officially launch the party at the Bomas of Kenya. We expect over 10,000 delegates from all the 47 counties,” Mr Duale said.
“We will discuss with the new leaders the status of the party, at the end of the day, we want them to be ready for take off…that’s why the theme of our meeting is coming up with a winning strategy,” he added.ODM secretary-general Anyang’ Nyong’o said the party would be seeking to use the meeting to revitalise its earlier position as a champion of democratic values.
Kanu organising secretary Justin Muturi said his party would use the NEC meeting to adopt radical proposals aimed at ensuring the party complies with the Constitution.
“We want to adopt a number of proposals raised by members, among them the requirement that counties become the new branches as well as the one third gender rule in our leadership structures,” Mr Muturi said.
Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and Gichugu lawmaker Martha Karua, who have also declared interest in the presidency, could not be reached to provide their weekend programmes.
Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri will launch Grand National Unity’s recruitment in Mombasa on Friday before heading to Kilifi on Saturday and Kwale on Sunday.

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