Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula is still the Ford Kenya party leader according to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal. Wetangula had turned to the tribunal on June 10th, seeking to tame the party wrangles. Represented by lawyers Nelson Havi, Dr John Khaminwa and Ben Milimo, he sought orders barring the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) from effecting changes in the Ford Kenya party leadership.
They also sought an injuction from the PPDT-represented by Milly Lwanga, Desina Mugo and Adelaide Mbithi-stopping the Registrar of Political Parties from receiving or acting upon documents emanating from the Eseli Simiyu and Wafula Wamunyinyi side. On Friday, the PPDT maintained Wamunyinyi’s team should still face disciplinary action.
Speaking to West TV, lawyer Nelson Havi said Ford Kenya is the only surviving second liberation party and there have been attempts to fold up the party, “With the intention of giving it out to those who think we need to return Kenya to a single party state.”
He said they voiced their complaints to the ORPP Ann Nderitu after she published the notice of intent to change the party leadership and she said she couldn’t handle the matter any longer. He added that the ORPP has withdrawn the 8th June gazette notice and that Ford Kenya is firmly in the hands of Wetangula.
However, the Registrar of Political Parties has dismissed the notion that the notice has been recalled, “The correct position as advanced by the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) on Friday 12th June is that the Gazette notice still stands for purposes of its intent under Section 20 of the Political Parties Act 2011,” she said in a statement.