Monday, April 16, 2012

Uhuru told to surrender certificate


By VITALIS KIMUTAI
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has been asked to surrender Kanu’s registration certificate to enable the party comply with the Political Parties Act 2011.
Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat said he had made written and verbal communication to Uhuru asking for return of the vital document.
Kanu acting Chairman Gideon Moi (left) with Naivasha MP John Mututho and other delegates at the Kasarani stadium on Saturday during a Special National Delegates conference. [PHOTO: COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD]
"I have personally repeatedly called the former chairman on his mobile phone but he has declined to pick my calls. I have called a number of his aides including his personal assistant requesting that they ask the chairman to surrender the certificate to the party headquarters," said Salat.
Salat told The Standard that should the Gatundu South MP fail to surrender the document by the close of business today, the party will be left with no option but to report to report the matter to the police and obtain an abstract.
"The certificate is the only item which the former chairman is still holding and we expect him to surrender it to us," Salat said.
Naivasha MP John Muthuto has also asked Uhuru to surrender the certificate so that the party can comply with the new rules.
Conditions
One of the conditions a party should fulfill before being registered under the new laws is to surrender its registration certificate before being issued with a new one.
Uhuru at the weekend ceased being the party’s national chairman after a resolution by a Special National Delegates Conference (NDC) which saw former Baringo Central MP Gideon Moi installed as an interim chairman.
Uhuru did not attend the NDC held at Kasarani stadium after a spat with a section of the leaders following the delay by the independence party to comply with the new laws ahead of the April 30 deadline.
In two months’ time, the party will conduct grassroots elections as it seeks to rebrand ahead of the next General Election.
The DPM accused Salat of being an impediment as the party seeks to comply with the laws by failing to withdraw a court case he had filed stopping membership recruitment drive.
But Salat in a quick rejoinder said the case he filed related to the alleged withdrawal of Sh8 million from the party’s bank accounts which was used to print membership cards by a company owned by some party officers in total disregard to procurement rules.
"I reported the matter at Kilimani Police Station, the Criminal Investigations Department, the Nairobi Provincial Police Officer, Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority and the Auditor General because the money was from the exchequer," claimed Salat.
However, he said the case had been overtaken by events as the orders he secured expired after three weeks. He maintained the procurement was done through single sourcing.
Refuted claims
Salat refuted claims that Kanu was on its death bed. "We have fast-tracked the compliance efforts and we have registered 1,000 members in 29 Counties and opened 38 offices. We started the compliance process late as the former chairman remained aloof and did not answer phone calls and correspondence on pertinent issues which would have propelled us forward," Salat said.
Uhuru said in a statement last Thursday that he would not be seeking any elective post in Kanu owing to the fact that he was a state officer.
"I made it clear to the Kanu NEC that it is my desire to seek elective office in the coming general election (read Presidency). As a result, and in compliance with the new Constitution and the Political Parties Act that no State officer can hold a party position, I will, therefore, not seek any position in Kanu," he stated.
Uhuru said the party has had challenges which he wanted resolved to prevent it from demise and that he was happy to see the people who had been an impediment had taken pro-active steps.

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