Leadership row hits New Ford Kenya after Shitanda's death

The late Soita Shitanda

New Ford Kenya (NFK) is in crisis after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal barred Governor Kenneth Lusaka from assuming its leadership.

The tribunal also barred the governor from carrying out any business on behalf of the party.

The directive follows a complaint made by a member to the Registrar of Political Parties, Lucy Ndung’u.

The response from Ms Ndung’u showed former Housing Minister Soita Shitanda was until his death the party leader. The tribunal issued the directive before Mr Shitanda died. The former minister died at Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

MERGER STOPPED

Yesterday, Tribunal Chairman Kyalo Mbobu further stopped Mr Lusaka from merging New Ford Kenya with any other party or carrying out any business until a matter before it was heard and concluded.

Activist Nyukuri Barasa had petitioned the tribunal to stop Lusaka and seven other members from carrying out any business on behalf of the party.

The other respondents include Water CS Eugene Wamalwa, Benjamin Muema, Musikari Kombo, Julius Bakasa, Joshua Werunga, Martin Nyongesa and Gabriel Nafusi.

The party was officially registered on April 8, 2012, with Shitanda as the party leader, Lilian Ongili and Washington Mugambi as the deputy party leaders and Benjamin Muema as the secretary general.

“Water CS Eugene Wamalwa and Lusaka are just impostors in NFK and any business carried out by them on behalf of the party is null and void. No meeting was convened to install them at all and what they have is just a gentleman’s agreement which is not binding,” said Mr Barasa.