Ongoro elected PPLC chair in disputed poll

Political Party Liaison Committee (PPLC) has elected new committee members in a controversial election that was held in Mombasa on Friday evening.

Nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was elected the chairman, Maur Bwanamaka of Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU) as deputy chairman, Dan Mwema as secretary general and former MP Kalembe Ndile of TIP TIP party as organising secretary.

But yesterday, the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung'u said the election was null and void due to what she described as 'disruptions by acts of hooliganism' at the venue.

The election that was characterised by exchange of words, throwing of objects and a walkout ended with the intervention of the police and boycott by a group led by a former assistant Minister Wavinya Ndeti.

Ms Ndung'u said any meeting or polls that took place after the disruptions was invalid.

Earlier, the liaison committee members from 59 political parties failed to reach an agreement on who should be their legitimate chairman after Ms Ongoro accused the current sitting committee Chair Wavinya of CCU of being in office illegally.

Two members of an opposing group; Wanakande Hamisi and Ndirangu Isaiah were arrested after they were accused of causing violence that lead to the shuttering of glass windows in the hotel, where the polls were held.

Ongoro said no one was elected as a PPLC chairman in the last elections held on August 28, 2014 in Nairobi.

"The attempted elections last year were not successful and members did not elect anyone as a liaison chair after the returning officer from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) stepped out and participants were advised to vacate the hall," said Ongoro.

However, Wavinya said she had been elected into office by PPLC members and was recognised by the Registrar of Parties as a legitimate chairperson.

She said the issue of conducting elections was not in the meeting's agenda and the party members were out to disrupt the whole meeting that was aimed at achieving resolutions of the two-third gender rule and issues of leadership in PPLC.

Wavinya faulted the elections conducted by Ongoro because IEBC and Registrar of Parties was not present to oversee the whole process. She stormed out of the meeting with her allies after Ongoro and her party members demanded for an election.