Thirdway Alliance Party officials sued their party Leader Ekuru Aukot yesterday, Thursday 20, over the Punguza Mizigo funding.
The officials took to court to have the Punguza Mizigo Initiative suspended with the demands that they needed to know the source of its funding.
The officials who went to court included Angela Nyalita (Deputy party leader), Phelister Wughanga (Deputy Secretary-General) and Hilda Gachachi (National Women Caucus Chair).
For instance, the officials accused Aukot of failing to disclose his sources of funding for the project aimed to amend the constitution.
“The petitioners aver that the actions of Dr Aukot are injurious to their interests as members of the party, their reputation and their legal standing, for being contrary to not only constitutive documents but also the Political Parties Act, the Constitution, among other regulations,” said their lawyer Caroline Oduor.
The petition adds, “Dr Aukot and the Thirdway Alliance should be either jointly or severally restrained from conducting or continuing any unlawful initiative for the amendment of the Constitution in the name and style of Punguza Mizigo until this matter is heard as well as determined.”
The Punguza Mizigo Bill kicked off in May 2018, following a successful collection of signatures from members of the public.
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It was then submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for verification and forwarded to the County Assemblies for debate in July 2019.
However, during the same month, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Taskforce released its recommendations and amendments to the constitution following the Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
The BBI was thus dubbed a rival initiative to the Punguza Mizigo with politicians and leaders divided in terms of vies and support.
Read Also: Aukot To Present Referendum Bill, Signatures To IEBC On February 21
According to the officials who have dragged Aukot to court, the main issues raised revolve around the fact that the initiative was duly passed by the National Executive Council of their party yet Aukot declined to respond to funding queries at a meeting in January.
They also raised concerns over the timing of the Introduction of the Pungiza Mizigo Initiative in just a month hence posing it as competition.
Additionally, the registrar of political parties is being faulted for failing to discharge its duty of ensuring publication of audited accounts in compliance with the law.
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