Monday, March 12, 2012

Ex-LSK boss Akide to chair PNU Alliance polls


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PNU Alliance has appointed immediate former LSK chairman Kenneth Akide to head its elections board Akide will chair a nine member Elections Board that has been tasked to oversee the party's grassroots elections which are slated to begin at the end of this month. “In order to have credible elections, the party has constituted its Elections Board comprised of highly qualified and competent persons,” secretary general Kiraitu Murungi announced. Muthoni Gichohi will deputise Akide. Former IIEC commissioner Davis Chirchir was appointed as a board member.
Others include Riunga Raiji, Sultana Fadhil, Dr Stephen Njiru, Kenneth Nzioka, Arthur Namu and Josephine Arasa. Kiraitu, who recently resigned as secretary general of PNU to concentrate on the Alliance, said the board will work with the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission in conducting the polls. “The board has already written to the IEBC seeking it to supervise the party elections on its behalf or if not possible, assist the board to recruit qualified election officers,” he added.
The announcement may have caught some of the appointees unaware. When contacted for comment, Chirchir said he had not been informed by the party. “I am hearing it from you for the first time. It is a surprise and cannot comment much about the appointment until I am contacted,” commissioner Chirchir added.
PNU Alliance which is proposing to change its name to Alliances Party of Kenya will commence its grassroots on March 29 at the ward level, April 2 at the branch and April 7 at the county. After completing the grassroots elections, the party says it will then move to hold national elections in compliance with the Political Parties Act 2011.
Although the party says it has complied with the act in recruitment of members, it will intensify its recruitment exercise this weekend with major meetings in Ngong, Loitoktok and Nanyuki. “The bus is on the move and we need more passengers. That is why we are going out this weekend to open party offices and recruit more members,” Kiraitu said.
The Energy minister was speaking yesterday after chairing a PNU Alliance meeting that was attended by five MPs at the party headquarters in Lavington, Nairobi. Those present included Johnstone Muthama, Ferdinand Waititu, Yusuf Hassan, Walter Nyambati and PNU chairman Titus Ibui. PNU Alliance said its objective will be to set the standards for internal democracy and to convince other Kenyans that its ready to govern.
Kiraitu expressed optimism that the Alliance will produce the next president. “Our leader Kalonzo Musyoka, George Saitoti and Uhuru Kenyatta are firmly in the bus and we expect to field one candidate even though they are strengthening their various parties,” he added. The party says it plans to surpass its membership drive by having over 1,000 members from each of the 47 counties.
The law requires parties to have 1,000 registered members in more than half of the 47 counties in order to be registered. The parties have until April 30 to comply with the provisions of the law or fail to be registered afresh. Currently, there are 52 parties that have provisional certificates of registration.

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