Orders halting PNU-Jubilee merger to stay

Meru Governor Peter Munya. A Nairobi court has extended orders stopping the registrar of political parties from allowing Party of National Unity (PNU) to merge with Jubilee Party. (PHOTO: FILE/ STANDARD)

A Nairobi court has extended orders stopping the registrar of political parties from allowing Party of National Unity (PNU) to merge with Jubilee Party.

The tribunal also directed the parties in the matter to serve and file their responses by October 6. An application by some of the officials to have the meeting scheduled for tomorrow stopped was dismissed.

Governor Peter Munya, who is an interested party in the matter, was also present in court yesterday for the hearing of the matter.

The party chairman and its organising secretary had moved to court seeking orders to stop a delegates' conference set to install Munya as the new party leader.

The chairman, John Mbugua and organising secretary Alphonse Musyoki, claimed secretary general John Anunda called for the meeting against the law.

Null and void

They termed the notice null and void as it intends to endorse Mr Munya, who is also the Council of Governors' chairman, as party leader without following procedure as stipulated in the party's constitution.

Munya has declared that he will be seeking re-election and the presidency in 2022 on a PNU ticket.

Through lawyer Victor Ayieko, who filed a certificate of urgency before the Political Party's Tribunal, the two leaders claim Anunda has no power to call for either a National Governing Council (NGC) or a National Delegates' Conference (NDC).

"This tribunal has jurisdiction under section 40 (1) (a) of the Political Parties Act to hear and determine this case," they said in court documents. The two claim Anunda issued a notice dated July 25, 2016 to convene NGC and NDC meetings.

"The main agenda of the meeting is to install Munya who is an executive member of the Alliance Party of Kenya as the party leader of PNU in place of retired President Kibaki," said Ayieko.

The meeting will go on and the matter will be heard on October 6.