Daniel Nyassy
11 October 2008
Nairobi — Party of National Unity stalwarts converged at the Coast to discuss how to strengthen it in the face of divergent views from part of its initial membership and a slow recruitment drive.
The leaders who met in the absence of their chairman President Kibaki, said they would launch PNU officially in Nakuru on November 8 and thereafter market and prepare it for the 2012 elections.
"We want to build an integral party for all Kenyans. Our objective is to take the presidency of this country in 2012," said national coordinator Noah Wekesa. "The party is live and kicking."
Defence Minister Yusuf Haji said PNU would be made into a strong party with a national outlook. The notion that it is a Kikuyu party will be erased through awareness and aggressive campaigns, he said.
The party, which sponsored President Kibaki to the bitterly disputed presidential elections last December suffered a blow after cabinet minister Martha Karua declared her intention to strengthen Narc-Kenya, itself a PNU affiliate and gun for the presidency.
The party's recruitment drive has been low-key, two weeks after it was launched without much fanfare or visibility.
Parties' Act
But the party has now been pushed into action by the requirements of the Political Parties Act with which all parties should comply by the end of December.
This is according to a directive issued by the Electoral Commission of Kenya which recently appointed a registrar to specifically handle matters concerning political parties. This has forced the parties to embark on recruitment drives ahead of planned grassroots elections.
The Mombasa meeting was also attended by ministers George Saitoti, Beth Mugo, assistant minister Nderitu Miritu and MPs George Nyamweya, Abdul Bahari Ali and PNU Executive Director Mr Jasper Nyaboga among other party members.
Mrs Mugo said PNU would comply with the law governing political parties, which came into force in July this year, by recruiting members.
The old PNU Constitution which made it a conglomeration of parties, Mrs Mugo said, had been changed to make it an independent political party.
She lamented that women had been left behind in leadership in the old PNU and urged them to campaign for positions when party elections are called later in the year "so that we can beat the men during our delegates elections in Kasarani later."
She said PNU supported the Kriegler report that the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) should be overhauled but cautioned that this should be done tactically.
"Before ECK is removed or overhauled, we must be sure we have enough funds to meet the costs and people to replace the commissioners. It must be done carefully in order to avoid problems for the country," she said.
Prof Saitoti said PNU lost many seats in the 2007 general elections because of splinter groups but come 2012, the party will win majority seats in Parliament and form the next government.
However, he said the party will be willing to enter into agreements with other parties who will supports its ideologies.
Dr Wekesa said leaders from all 210 constituencies should draw a memoranda on how they want the PNU to operate and take them to the party headquarters for deliberation.
"This is the only way to make sure all Kenyans right from the grassroots have a say and own the party. The days of dictatorship, arm-twisting and centralisation in leadership are over. The people at the grassroots must own their party," he said.
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