Former DPM Musalia Mudavadi's name missing in UDF official list

Kenya: Amani Coalition leader Musalia Mudavadi is in shock after Registrar of Political Parties confirmed that he and his Deputy Jeremiah Kioni are not in the party officials list.

The Registrar further delt a blow to the United Democratic Front (UDF) Leader that he has no powers to rebrand UDF outfit to Amani National Congress since that party had been registered by another entity.

The former Deputy Prime Minister has been struggling to make shake off the tag that UDF was formed by authorities at State House in the run up to the last general election to reduce Cord leader Raila Odinga’s popularity in vote rich basket of Western region.

In a letter dated September 25, 2014, the Registrar Lucy Ndung’u  wrote to the duo that they were not officials of the party and cannot act or transact business on behalf of the party since their names were not in the list during the submission for all party officials list for compliance.

The UDF party National Executive Council members list and seen by the Standard indicate that there are 14 officials with nominated MP Hassan Osman as the chair, Nancy Gachoka and Nasir Maalim as Vice Chairs while Dan Ameyo and Abraham Limo as first secretary general and second respectively.

The bone of contention has been that the Amani leader called for a meeting on September 16, which was only attended by two NEC members Kassim Sawa (Organizing Secretary) and Petronila Were (Deputy Secretary General and Chief Executive of the Party).

UDF Chairman Hassan Osman claimed that his team was ousted on Wednesday, September 17 and forwarded a list of new officials to the registrar of political parties, a list which was declined by the registrar.

Osman admits that he is being sacrificed because he is a stumbling block in their way of using shortcut to withdraw from the Jubilee administration and addition of more members to the Executive Council.

"I am being pushed because I refused to endorse what was unconstitutional. The meeting in Naivasha was not a policy making body and I could not have signed a document from a meeting which is unconstitutional. The UDF constitution says that it's only NEC that can amend, reject or endorse a resolution. The meeting in Naivasha was not a NEC exercise," said Osman.

The besieged UDF chairman accused some UDF members of wrecking the party by trying to use shortcuts in their quest for power and political relevance.

Article 9 of the UDF Constitution states that, meetings of all party organs and committees shall be convened by the Chairperson or his absence the Vice chairperson who shall cause the Secretary General to issue notice of not less than 14 days to the said effect.

“The Court order and the Registrar’s letter are full proof that the party is intact and fraudsters will be dealt with according to the law, party Constitution and Political Parties Act in the right procedure,” said Osman.

 

He said that there has been a diversionary tactic employed by some lawmakers to taint his name that he is working with URP on the basis that he is living in Eldoret town, the home turf of the Deputy President.

However, the new UDF Secretary General Justus Kizito admitted that the party resolved that they withdraw from Jubilee coalition via gradual progressive political disengagement.

Kizito claims to be the Secretary General though the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung'u stated that the list of new party officials submitted to her office is yet to be effected.

In the meeting that brought together all elected leaders of UDF and the National Executive Council (NEC), members resolved to rebrand UDF name to Amani National Congress, a verdict that Osman rejected.

"We resolved to rebrand the party but Osman embarrassed everybody by walking out and failed to sign the document. He was sacked because of incompetent and capacity to manage the affairs of the party," said Kizito.

Kizito said they agreed the party needed a new lease and breathe of life and refurbish party to have a national outlook.

"Its true UDF has been so hard to sell in Western region because of the propaganda that was peddled by ODM that UDF is a State House project. We must consolidate our support from our political bedrock which is Western," said Kizito.