The Registrar of Political Parties Ms. Anne Nderitu has officially published a gazette notice giving notice of changes by the Forum for Restoration of Democracy–Kenya (Ford Kenya) party to its party officials. “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 20(1)(c) of the Parties Act,2011, the Registar of Political Parties gives notice of the Ford Kenya Party intends to change its party officials,” Nderitu said. In the gazette notice dated June 8, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has been replaced by Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi while Ms. Josephine Maungu replaces Chris Mandu as the new National Organizing Secretary replacing Chris Mandu.
“Any person with written submissions concerning the intended change by the politicakl party, shall within seven days from the date herein, deposit them with the Registrar of Political Parties,” she said.
According to the Ford Kenya Secretary General Eseli Simiyu, the Party’s NEC decision to remove Wetangula was informed by gross misconduct which saw the party lose its ideals. In a meeting convened by Wamunyinyi last week, the Ford Kenya party members, who accused Wetangula of failing to steer the party. However, Wetangula dismissed the FORD Kenya meeting held by the party’s National Executive Committee to remove him from the party leadership, saying he can only be removed by party elections.
Founded in August 1992 by the late doyen of multiparty democracy Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Ford Kenya was part of the National Rainbow Coalition that governed Kenya from 2003 to 2007, having ended forty years of Kenya African National Union rule. The party is one of the faction that split from the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) formed in August 1991 by six opposition leaders to fight for change in the country. FORD was however outlawed by the then President Daniel Arap Moi and its leaders arrested and detained. After sustained pressure from the West, they were released with the party splitting into two factions – Ford Asili (led by Kenneth Matiba) and FORD-Kenya (led by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga) in August 1992.
