Nyandarua Speaker drags Moses Kuria’s party to Disputes Tribunal in nomination fiasco
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal will on Thursday, April 25, hear a dispute filed by Nyandarua County Assembly Speaker Wahome Ndegwa who is challenging a decision by the Moses Kuria-led Chama Cha Kazi (CCM) to revoke his nomination certificate to contest the county’s gubernatorial seat.
Mr Kuria stirred the hornet’s nest when he declared that the party will not present a candidate for the seat but will instead support the UDA nominee, Mr Ndirangu Badilisha.
In the papers filed in the Tribunal, Mr Ndegwa claims that he is a member of the party having been registered upon payment of Sh50,000 in registration fee.
He says he complied with requirements for nominations for election as governor, and was legitimately nominated to vie for the seat on the party ticket in the August 9 poll.
He then paid a total of Sh1 million, which includes Sh500,000 nomination fee and another Sh500,000 in support of the operations of the party and was granted the certificate.
“The unilateral decision of the party to withdraw the certificate is in bad faith, draconian and is neither founded in the constitution, the party’s constitution, its nominations rules or even the coalition agreement of the Kenya Kwanza which CCK belongs,” Mr Ndegwa says in the court papers filed in court.
He further argues that the decision was made in gross violation of the constitutional principles of the rule of law, democracy, participation of the people, transparency and accountability as well as rules of administrative action and those of natural justice.
Mr Ndegwa has asked the Tribunal to issue orders staying the decision of the party contained on the Facebook page of the party, indicating that it will not be fielding a candidate for the position.
He also wants the party restrained from forwarding its list of nominees for the August 9 general election to the electoral commission as well as the registrar of political parties without his name as the duly nominated aspirant for the party for the Nyandarua gubernatorial race.
Similarly, Mr Ndegwa wants the tribunal to nullify such a list of nominees if it is forwarded to the two agencies without his name, pending the hearing of the dispute.
A member of the Tribunal, Ms Rahma Jillo, who presided over the three-member tribunal certified the matter urgent and ordered Mr Ndegwa to serve the Party on Tuesday April 26. In turn the Party had to file its response and serve Mr Ndegwa by 9am on Thursday April 27, before the hearing later that day.
Other members of the Tribunal are Mr Masafu Eric Wamalwa, and Stephen Musau.