Murungi tells off New Ford-Kenya over top Jubilee post demand

The recently dissolved New Ford-Kenya (NFK) party has been told off over demands that it be given a top Jubilee Party post.

Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi has told the NFK leadership to accept any position given to them under the envisaged Jubilee Party, in which he is the co-chairman of the steering committee.

He said the decision on party office-bearers will be dictated by the party leader until the official elections are held.

“The merger comprises of 12 political parties and the ultimate responsibility of deciding office-bearers is the party leader. I call upon the leaders to stay calm as the issues are being discussed,” said Mr Kiraitu.

He spoke at PCEA Gikurune Church in Imenti South on Sunday.

JOB-SHARING FORMULA

Mr Murungi said the steering committee has proposed a formula for determining how the parties will share positions, saying the process will be free and fair.

“We will be looking at the last general elections’ reports when sharing party positions. The more the votes the party had in the last general elections the more seats it will be entitled to.

“The move will help the parties share the interim seats until the party holds an election to elect party office bearers,” he added.

This is after the NFK demanded a top slot in the yet-to-be-formed Jubilee Party on whose ticket President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are to seek re-election in 2017 elections.

Party leader Kenneth Lusaka, who is also the Bungoma governor, had said it deserved to get the post of secretary-general in the united party.

Mr Lusaka said the President should be the party leader, the Deputy-President the deputy party leader and since NFK is the third-largest party in the alliance, it should get the post of secretary-general.

Mr Kiraitu, however, congratulated NFK officials for being the first political party to sign the resolutions and openly support the merger process.

He said the Jubilee Party has many parties that must work as a team to unite Kenyans ahead of the elections.

IEBC REFORMS

Mr Murungi also said the the Select Committee formed to discuss the electoral reforms wants the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee to wind up its scrutiny of the same matter.

Mr Murungi, the committee’s co-chairman, said the Samuel Chepkonga-led panel was duplicating its work and it should allow his committee to resolve the standoff once and for all.

He said the Chepkonga team was focusing on solving the allegations presented to the House by a citizen that are "very narrow and cannot help solve the stalemate".

He now wants National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to stop the proceedings of the parliamentary committee and allow his team to settle the stalemate.

“The committee’s mandate will give Kenyans hope, confidence and trust that the 2017 polls will lead to a free, fair and credible election. We should not have two parallel processes [seeking to resolve] the same issue.

"The move will raise panic among Kenyans, who want to be assured of free and fair elections in the next general elections,” Mr Murungi said.