Dr Ekuru Aukot expelled from his own party

Former Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot at a past function. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard

The man who was known as the face of Thirdway Alliance has been expelled from his party after long-standing contentious friction according to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

The final nail has been hammered into Dr. Ekuru Aukot’s political coffin in the Party after what the NEC termed as lack of civility, moral and social integrity, wanton defiance of court orders and financial impropriety. 

“We wish to bring to the attention of our Party members and members of the public that Dr. Ekuru Aukot has today been expelled from the party and dismissed from the office of the Thirdway Alliance Kenyan Party leader,” read the statement giving the details of the chronological events that led to the expulsion of the party leader.

The party has also sanitized its approach of dislodging Dr. Aukot at the helm of leadership by stating that no prejudice prompted the action taken against Dr. Aukot.

“The Party’s NEC unequivocally confirms that our members made the decision without any malice, bias or hatred despite the former Party Leader hopping from one media house to the other to disparage the recent decision by the NEC,” read the statement.

According to the statement, a meeting was convened on August 14th, 2020 by the Chairperson of the party in order to shed some light on the issues relating to accountability. The statement paints a picture of Aukot calling an ad-hoc meeting where he asks another member who they call “the other person” required in the meeting not to appear. The former party leader would also say he wouldn’t attend a meeting with the Party Secretary-General Fredrick Okango. Dr. Aukot would later agree that the contentious issues tabled against him be presented to the NEC.

On 26th April, the party issued another statement suspending the party leader who responded by saying it was unconstitutional and a scheme to muzzle and eject anyone who doesn’t support the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI)
“These are BBI sell-outs who went to our party to try and sell our Punguza Mizigo Kenya. The reason I’m being fought and the reason I am being discredited is because of my stand. I don’t believe in BBI. It is not based on any constitutional framework,” said Dr. Aukot on a phone call with the Standard Digital on 26th August.

However, NEC tells a different story of a leader who utterly disregarded attending NEC meetings.
“On the 26th of April, the Party leader Intentionally skipped the NEC meeting without an apology, it was later learnt that he was on holiday in Diani. However, in a brazen display of impunity, he sent his armed GSU bodyguard accompanied by two goons and the Organizing secretary to disrupt and stop the properly convened NEC meeting,” reads the statement.

Another attempt to have the former party leader to appear before the disciplinary committee was snubbed even after all witnesses and complainant appeared and testified.

“The chairman of the disciplinary committee that was constituted by the NEC and which was sworn in by an advocate of the High Court emailed the party leader the charge sheet together with a notice to appear before the committee on 4th September 2020… Dr. Aukot did not appear nor did he send an apology,” read the statement.

The party has reiterated its stand of “zero tolerance to impunity” from any party member regardless of their status within the party ranks and the society at large.