Nyanza Kanu delegates promise to support Uhuru

THURSDAY, 08 MARCH 2012 00:13 BY SAMUEL OTIENO

SUPPORT: KANU national excutive Director Joseph Maathai, Provincial cordinator jack Nyambega and Kisumu West treasurer Samuel Obuya during the meeting

FORMER national ruling party, Kanu has announced completion of its membership recruitment drive in most of the Western region constituencies in line with the Political Parties Act. The party national officials and provincial officials said in Kisumu yesterday that the party will meet all the requirements of the Political Parties Act.

The party's national executive director Joseph Maathai said most of the counties have returned their membership form with figures surpassing the 1,000 per county threshold. In Western region, Maathai said counties in Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Kakamega have recruited over 1,300 each with more figures expected to trickle in before the party closes the exercise.

He said Kanu will go beyond the Political Parties Act requirements and strive to have more than 1,000 members in every ward and at least 500 per polling station. “We, as a former ruling party will not deal with the minimum requirement but will have our membership drive done in all the counties and every ward in the country. We are prepared to submit our membership drive by next week,” Maathai said.

Maathai made the remarks in Kisumu during the official return of the membership forms from counties in Western region in which the delegates vowed to support Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta during the party's national delegate’s conference. “Only Uhuru can match Kanu opponents in other parties, especially Raila and that is why we will support him for the party flag bearer and chairman in the upcoming national delegates conference which will be held soon,” he said.

The party Nyanza provincial coordinator Jack Nyambega urged the party national leaders to stop wrangling. The meeting at Kisumu Tilapia Beach Hotel was attended by party branch leaders from six constituencies. In a signed statement, the officials said other leaders gunning for the party's national chairman post have no leadership qualities to steer the party to greater heights. He said party officials from Nyanza will continue supporting Uhuru in his future endeavorsa