Gideon Moi takes charge as Kanu picks new officials

By ATHMAN AMRAN

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s decade at the helm of Kanu has ended after First Vice Chairman Gideon Moi took over as interim chairman.

The uncontested coup was staged on Saturday at a meeting of the party’s top decision-making organ at Kasarani in Nairobi.

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga (left) greets Kanu Interim Chairman Gideon Moi during a Special National Delegates Conference at the Kasarani Gymnasium on Saturday. Seated is Naivasha MP John Mututho. [PHOTO: COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD]

Uhuru skipped the meeting claiming the rival faction had convened it illegally. The takeover was executed immediately the 52-year-old party’s special National Delegates Conference at the Moi International Sports Centre’s Kasarani gymnasium endorsed new party laws to comply with the Kenya Constitution and the Political Parties Act 2011.

This is required before a party obtains full registration. The Independence party is rushing against time to comply ahead of the April 30 deadline if it is to take part in the next General Election.

During the meeting, Uhuru’s seat as chairman was reserved until after the delegates from across the country passed a resolution to dissolve the past leadership and replace it with interim officials. Party Secretary General Nick Salat, who was the master of ceremonies, noted that the resolutions had to be signed by the Chairman, who he indicated was absent.

By a show of hands, Gideon was unanimously endorsed to take over Uhuru’s seat and sign the resolutions on behalf of the party. This prompted Mr Salat to motion the former Baringo Central MP to occupy the seat reserved for the party chairman.

Empty chair

"Sasa hicho kiti ambacho hakina mwenyewe nenda keti hapo (You can now occupy the vacant seat)," Mr Salat declared amid applause. Gideon then moved from his seat as Vice-chairman to the empty chair and signed the new Kanu resolutions.

Naivasha MP John Mututho, who said the NDC was lawfully held, was the only one of Kanu’s elected and nominated MPs to show up. The party has 13 MPs, three of them also Cabinet ministers. He defended Uhuru who he said was "faced with lots of problems" and aroused murmurs from the hall when he referred to him as "our Kanu hero".

"We want him to be the Kanu presidential candidate," he said, arguing that Uhuru has been a man of peace. Salat, however, quipped that Uhuru could only be the party’s presidential candidate if he was in Kanu. "Only in Kanu and not outside Kanu," Salat said.