Leadership wrangles in the Ford Kenya party have escalated with one of the warring factions blocking ODM party from sharing political parties funds with the ‘Simba’ outfit.
The ODM party recently announced plans to share funds received from the parties registrar to its National Super Alliance (NASA) affiliates after a protracted row.
Ford Kenya, one of the NASA partners, was to receive Ksh36 million from Ksh308 million that the Raila Odinga-led party decided to share.
In the sharing formula used by ODM, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper party received Sh70.4 million, Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC Sh43.8 and Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani Sh3 million from the monies the Orange party received courtesy of parliamentary votes.
But Ford Kenya will now wait longer for its share after a faction opposing Moses Wetangula’s leadership wrote to ODM seeking to block the disbursement of the funds pending hearing and determination of a petition in court.
The faction led by Members of Parliament Wafula Wamunyinyi (Kanduyi) and Eseli Simiyu (Tongaren) doesn’t recognise Wetangula as the Ford Kenya party leader.
Eseli, the Ford Kenya Secretary General, wrote to ODM and asked the Orange party not to transact with the Wetangula-led faction.
ODM has already decided to withhold the money pending resolution of the dispute pitting the Wetangula and Wamunyinyi factions.
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“I have received with pleasure your decision to share the political party’s funds with Ford Kenya among other members of the Nasa coalition. It is indeed an indication of your party’s consideration of the welfare of your partner parties,” Eseli said in the letter dated July 28 and copied to Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu.
“However, I wish to bring to your attention that Ford Kenya has had a long-drawn-out dispute about the leadership, a matter that has dragged on in court for over a year now. By this letter I wish to instruct that the money due to Ford Kenya be withheld until when the courts resolve the matter.”
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Ford Kenya has been facing internal wrangles since June last year when the Eseli and Wamunyinyi faction attempted to oust Wetagula, who doubles up as Bungoma Senator, as the party leader.
In the proposed changes, Wamunyinyi was to take over as the party leader.
The faction had attempted to kick out Wetangula for allegedly interfering in the party’s 2017 nomination process that cost Ford Kenya parliamentary seats and failing to reconcile warring parties to eliminate friction.
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