M-Pesa details used ‘to register’ party members

By Peter Atsiaya

Political Parties Liaison Committee has accused some party officials of violating the rules in the ongoing membership registration drives.

Committee chairman Nderitu Gachagua said they had received complaints that some officials were allegedly using dubious means to register members to comply with the new Political Parties Act.

Mr Gachagua claimed that the officials have invaded M-Pesa shops where they retrieve data of customers, which include their ID numbers and use them to register people without their knowledge.

"The parties are colluding with M-Pesa agents to access data on people’s ID and use them to register them as members of their parties without the their consent," said Gachagua.

He added: "This is fraud and the Registrar of Political Parties, Lucy Ndung’u, should investigate and discipline those behind the syndicate".

Gachagua accompanied by Committee Secretary General, Alfayo Agufana, was speaking in Eldoret after meeting officials of various political parties on Sunday.

Unorthodox

Mr Agufana said the conditions in the Act were tough and expensive and that is why some parties have resorted to unorthodox means.

He pointed out that it was the duty of Ms Ndung’u to ensure the rules are followed as political parties seek to comply with them.

"The law must be followed to ensure fair play in the political field as the country gears toward the General Election and this is the duty of the Registrar of Political Parties," said Agufana.

At the same time, a Cabinet minister has urged the Registrar of Political Parties to enforce the Political Parties Act.

The Minister for Fisheries Development, Mr Amason Kingi, complained that senior political leaders were violating the Act by shifting from one party to another, which is illegal.

"The Registrar of Political Parties needs to apply the Political Parties Act and block leaders who have a habit of shifting from one party to another or form new parties, which is a breach of the law," said Kingi.

Speaking to The Standard, Kingi said the Ndung’u was sleeping on the job and needed to wake up and enforce the laws.

The minister was reacting to the recent scenario where presidential candidates have been shifting political parties, while others are changing the names of their parties without following the laid-down rules.