United Republican Party wants MCAs' case dismissed

The United Republican Party is now seeking to have the case filed before a tribunal by nine suspended members of the Bomet County Assembly dismissed.

In a replying affidavit signed by the party’s Executive Director, David Koech, the party said the suspended MCAs had not exhausted the party’s dispute resolution mechanism and, therefore, the matter was not properly before the tribunal.

He said the Political Party and Disputes Tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the complaint raised by Teplelei Rotich, Hellen Chekirui, Josephine Rotich, Bency Too, Rose Buiyon, Nancy Chepkirui, Aurelia Chepkirui, Beatrice Chebomui and Patrick Chepkwony.

“From the outset, the plaintiff’s case is hot air, hopeless and must be dismissed for disclosing no reasonable cause of action and being in abuse of legal process. It is an extension of the plaintiffs’ sustained political propaganda against the party and efforts to drag the name of the Deputy President into their self-inflicted misfortunes,” Mr Koech said through his lawyer Moses Chelenga.

He also denied accusations that the party was seeking to have Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto impeached.

“The party has never issued any directive or sponsored any motion to impeach Governor Isaac Ruto. This accusation against the party is therefore unfounded and self-serving,” he said.

The tribunal is supposed to determine if the party acted within the law when it ordered the suspension of the MCAs, who were found to be disloyal to the leadership.

The nine were shown the door after they stormed out of a National Executive Council meeting where they had appeared over complaints brought against them.

The matter will come up for hearing on June 8.