KANU to revamp as it gets ready for 2022

Kenya African National Union(KANU) officials during the launch of KANU Women Congress in Kiambu. [Kamau Maichuhie, Standard]

Kanu has announced plans to revamp by reconstituting party branches nationwide in order to comply with the new constitution.

Kanu Executive Director Joseph Towett on Wednesday said the party has embarked on the process to reconstitute itself and put in place structures in order to comply with the new constitution.

Mr Towett said Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi who is also the Baringo Senator had given the nod for the reconstitution of fresh Party organs for the party.

Speaking in Kiambu during the launch of Kanu Women Congress, Mr Towett said the restructuring of the party will see the party have representation and membership in all the 47 counties.

“With the promulgation of the 2010 constitution, all party branches countrywide were dissolved and we now have to reconstitute them afresh a move that has the blessing of the party national chairman,” said Mr Towett.

To start with, the independence party has launched Kanu Women and Youth Congresses which will be bodies representing women and the youth in the party.

Kanu Women Congress national Chairperson Elizabeth Kimkung said the launch was a sign of the two party organs was sign of things to come.

She said the party leadership was committed to strengthen the party through recruitment from the grassroots to the national level.

Ms Kimkung said the party will launch women congresses in all the 47 counties countrywide.

“From now on, Kanu will go places. We are going back to our roots to the party of our fathers and fore-fathers,” she said.

She said about 75 percent of the country’s population were comprised youth and women who they wanted to target in their recruitment.

Rose Boit the national women congress Vice-Chairperson said the party was keen to strengthen itself ahead of 2022.

This,she said will help the party to gather high number of MPs, senators, governors and Members of County assembly(MCAs) in the forthcoming elections.

“We can only have high number of elected leaders if we have a strong party,” she said.

Kiambu County Kanu Women Congress Chairperson Gladys Chania told other political parties to brace for tough times ahead.

“This is tsunami in waiting and we do not want to leave any one behind. From now on, the party will become a force to reckon with,” said Ms Chania.

He called on the locals to rejoin the independence party since that is where they belonged as the party was founded in the county by founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

Ms Chania joins Kanu from Jubilee Party which she has used to vie for Kiambu Woman Representative but was floored by Gathoni Wamuchomba in the party primaries held on April 25,2017.

Kanu National organising Secretary Geoffrey Njihia said the party also launched the youth congress in Kiambu with plans underway to venture in to all the 47 counties.

He said as start, the youth congress had got 24 representatives which are two from the county’s 12 constituencies.

In addition, Njihia said 60 officials each representing a ward has been have been selected.

“From now, we are going to embark on a rigorous recruitment of new members. We are targeting to have enlisted more than 50,000 new members by mind next year,” said Mr Njihia.

Former Kikuyu town MCA Binary Wainaina termed the launch of party’s women and youth congresses in the county as a great and timely move.

“We are tired of briefcase parties that are normally owned by individuals who are the ones who call the shots. It is high time we political parties that are owned by the people and not individuals,” said Mr Wainaina.

Among those who attended the launch included aspirants ho vied in other political parties for various seats but lost in last year general election.