KANU LEADERS IN LUO-NYANZA VOW TO KICK OUT UHURU KENYATTA FROM THE PARTY’S NATIONAL CHAIRMANSHIP AND REPLACE HIM WITH A MAN FROM THE REGION.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo in Kisumu City

KANU branch chairmen and chair persons from five constituencies in what used to be called Siaya district met in Bondo Town at the weekend and expressed their dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership under the Finance Minister Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.

They vowed to kick him out at the next National Delegates Conference, and called upon Mr. Gideon Moi, on his capacity as the national vice chairman of the party, to call an urgent meeting so that the issue of KANU national leadership could be resolved once and for all.

Expressing concern that the independence party faces the danger of disintegration due the poor leadership of its current chairman, Mr. Uhuru Kenyattam who seemed to be playing double standard kind of politics of fence sitting. The chairman is only artificially in KANU but technically and practically in PNU.

The said Mr Kenyatta was playing double standard kind of politics, which in their views was very dangerous for the party’s survival. Kenyatta , they said was more of a PNU leader than KANU, and this kind of fence sitting must be brought to an immediate end so that KANU can regain its lost glory of the past.

In attendance were Mr George Odero (Bondo and the host), Mama Grace Opondo (Gem}, Joseph Oduor{Ugenya} Lucas Amolo{Alego-Usonga}. The group were also joined by Mr. Japheth Olonde {Rachuonyo}and Mr Orondo Warentho {Nyatike}.

The group reminded Mr. Kenyatta that KANU members countrywide at time met and declined to endorsed the party’s merger or any loose cooperation with PNU. Twice he has let KANU down in the national general election, and if he is looking forward to contest the presidency in the next general election, he should do so on a PNU ticket, because that is the party where he belonged to..

“The time for politics of opportunism are over, and even those few KANU MPs who are siding with PNU in Parliament and the cabinet would be politely requested to cross over to the other party and leave KANU on as clean sheet. Or else these MPs will be denied the right to contest the next elections on KANU tickets.

KANU leaders said when the retired President Daniel Arap Mo was heading for his retirement in 2002, it could have been a wise idea for him to pick up the next person in party’s seniority. But the former President made a gross mistake of picking up Mr. Kenyatta, by then a political novice and a green horn, for a mission impossible. This became the root cause of KANU predicament, which resulted twice in dismal performance by the party at the elections. This should not be repeated again, and KANU members must be set free to elect a new and pragmatic leader who can carry the party and enable it to regain its lost glory”, said Mr.Alila .

KANU is the best organized political movement, whereas other parties only exist in newsrooms and at the Registrar of the political parties offices, but not on the ground, and have no structures, as opposed to KANU’s well organized structures. It should therefore not play a second fiddle to other parties, but must regain its national out look”, said Mr. Alila.

The Nyanza region KANU leaders had already organized meetings in Migori, Siaya, Kisumu and the next meeting, which will chart for the way forward would be organized in Kisumu City within a month’s time.

The party national Vice chairman Mr. Gideon Moi and the party’s secretary general Nick Salat have been invited to attend the next meeting in Kisumu.. Technically the Nyanza region did not recognize Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta’s leadership of the party and want him out as soon as possible, because his continued presiding over the party leadership is to the detriment of the party.

The meeting endorsed Mr. Alila to contest one of the party’s senior most posts within the party hierarchy.

Asked to state as which position in the KANU he intend to contest, Mr Alila said that it was too early to do that, but given KANU history since it inception 49 years ago, the people from the region had held key positions. The late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga became its first national vice chairman while the late Tom Mboya remained the party’s secretary-general until his death in 1969.

He also reminded KANU members about the days when the likes of Okiki Amayo, Peter Castro Oloo Aringo and Wilson Ndolo Ayah reigned supreme as KANU national chairmen. “All these points out that KANU has had a lot of Luo influence, unlike other joy-riders who joined it in recent past, mainly for the purpose of economic gains.

Mr. Alila said KANU leaders were happy that there is no more inter-party double crossing as it happened in the past, and this move would instill strict discipline on party membership so that one sticts with the party and no more double standard.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 2:22 AM
Subject: KANU LEADERS IN LUO-NYANZA VOW TO KICK OUT MR KENYATTA FOR POOR LEADERSHIP