Chaos in Turkana as High Court blocks KNCCI polls
The High Court has suspended elections of the Turkana county chapter of the Kenya National Chambers of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI) over the existence of two lists of bonfide members.
Lady Justice J.WW Mong’are directed the polls remain in abeyance until she determines a suit filed by the outgoing chairman Pius Ewoton and his deputy Joseph Losuru.
This means Ewoton remains the Chairman of the Turkana county KNCCI.
Justice Mong’are granted the orders after Ewoton informed the court the national office of KNCCI had generated a different list from the one he held by tbe Turkana county office.
The Judge heard the national office of KNCCI was fronting a rival group through Benjamin Onkoba.
“The national office is violating its own memorandum and articles of association which gives branches mandate to recruit register and be custodian of membership records” Ewoton told the court
Ewoton revealed the record held by KNCCI in respect to Turkana has a total number of 403 members which contravenes the branch membership register which has 103 mbers to vote.
He urged the court to intervene since KNCCI which has been named a respondent in the case has no right or powers to recruit branch members.
In a sworn affidavit, Ewoton says if KNCCI is allowed to operate a parrallel register, the elections will not be free and fair.
“The Turkana branch membership register is the only valid record to be used in the branch elections”
He went to ask the court to grant interim orders to preserve the substratum of the suit as the legitimate members of tge branch will suffer irrepairable loss. The Judge heard the orders will not prejudice KNCCI in any way as their role is supervisory in branch elections.
On June 2nd Onkoba apologized to the court for calling of the branch elections when there was a court order in force. Jystice Mongare lifted a warrant of arrrest which had been issued agaibst him and directed the case to handled by an alternative ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee)
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