Kiraitu tells Munya off, says PNU is in Jubilee

The Jubilee Party (JP) National Steering Committee says the Party of National Unity (PNU) is among political parties that will wind up during the national convention on September 8.

The committee’s co-chair and Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi says the party had signed a memorandum of understanding to dissolve.

“The party is among those that will dissolve. They have followed due process and therefore, will be part of the Jubilee merger next month,” said Kiraitu.

The Meru Senator said apart from Secretary General John Okemwa Anunda, the rest of the National Executive Council had consented to the planned dissolution.

He said PNU wrote to his committee last month seeking inclusion into President Uhuru Kenyatta’s new giant party.

A month ago Meru Governor Peter Munya, who has vowed not to join JP, announced he would use PNU to further his political agenda.

But on Monday, Deputy President William Ruto acknowledged the presence of PNU officials led by chairman John Kamama at the State House function where Uhuru announced the parties would merge at Kasarani.

The move to dissolve the party has been vehemently opposed by some PNU members, including former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni and former Assistant minister Nderitu Mureithi. But Kiraitu said the two politicians, according to records PNU party leaders annexed with a signed memorandum, were not party delegates.

“In fact, a look at the Registrar of Political Parties’ records indicate that former President Mwai Kibaki was still the party leader and had not opposed the dissolution of the party, but Munya will have to run against Kibaki to first become the party leader,” said Kiraitu.

Kamama said PNU is a national party with more than 106,000 members and majority have approved its dissolution to join JP.

Kamama said a ruling by the Political Parties Tribunal on July 21 declared that Mureithi and Kioni were not National Executive Committee (NEC) members.

“They are not our members and cannot therefore speak or represent the party on any forum. Our constitution is elaborate that you can only be an NEC member after having been elected from the grassroots.

You cannot force yourself to be part of the highest decision-making organ of PNU,” said Kamama.

Although Mureithi had previously been quoted saying delegates will decide the future of PNU, the chairman noted his party was for the unity of all Kenyans, which could only be achieved if all political parties merged into a strong force.

The party chairman said Munya was not the party leader and therefore had no say in the party.