Kenya’s Party of National Unity is crumbling – ODM may thrive of this act

PNU recruitment exercise launched

Written By:George Kithuka/Sophie Okwemo 

The Party of National Unity-PNU has refuted claims that it has postponed its grassroots recruitment exercise.

The party’s Coordinating committee Chairman Dr.Noah Wekesa, who launched the exercise Monday at the Party’s Headquarters, says the exercise will commence on Tuesday in all the 210 constituencies countrywide.

Wekesa further said the party is not at war with its competitors but it intends to recruit members, in order to meet the requirements of the political parties’ act that will take effect early next year.

At the same time, energy minister Kiraitu Murungi denied claims that the move by some of the Meru leaders to quit PNU was a loss to the party.

Kiraitu said everyone has a democratic right to belong to the party of their choice.

The party’s top brass had earlier vowed to continue with the exercise despite a stinging opposition from affiliate member parties.

Affiliate parties rejected PNU’s decision to dissolve them and strengthen PNU through member recruitment and grassroots elections to comply with the new political law.

Narc-Kenya chair Martha Karua has been in the forefront to oppose the idea, maintaining that PNU is a coalition of parties and any disrespect to affiliate parties would see the coalition disintegrate.

On Sunday, PNU received a major blow when 8 members of parliament from the entire Meru region, one of the party’s strong hold declared their intentions to ditch the party and join a new political side.

Last month, President Kibaki said the Party will go for both corporate and individual membership.

Following the endorsement of the changes in the Parties constitution, the party is now set to roll out in recruitment in the grassroots level country wide.

The unanimous endorsement of the adoption of both the corporate and individual membership in the Party Of National Unity has brought to a stand till the cross road the party has experienced for some time now.

President Kibaki presided at the endorsement of the agreement at the KICC where about 60 members of parliament and PNU’s affiliate party leaders were in attendance.

Chair of the 15 member committee which looked into the PNU’s membership issues,  Noah Wekesa said  the decision to have both corporate ad individual memberships in the party was reached upon unanimously by the Members of Parliament present, as they also picked President Kibaki as the party leader and National Chair

This now calls for the amendment of the party’s constitution to allow for the two types of membership.

However individual parties are required to comply with the Political Parties Act.

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API/Source.kbc.ke