National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi could be expelled from the Democratic Party if a petition against him sails through.
Muturi risks being ousted as the party head after joining the Kenya Kwanza alliance without consulting the party organs, a case filed at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal indicates.
The former Siakago MP allegedly illegally seized the role of party leader, despite opposition from members, the petition filed on April 11 by Wambugu Nyamu, Daniel Munene, and King’ori Choto shows.
“The respondent had not paid the subscription fees and most importantly, he had not been a member of the party at least a year prior to the said appointment,” the petitioners argue.
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“The respondent has been running the affairs of the party in secrecy and has deliberately concealed information on the signed resolutions of the National Delegates Convention held on 20th February 2022.”
The petitioners want Muturi barred from discussing, ratifying, perpetuating, or in any way promoting the purported coalition agreement with the Kenya Kwanza coalition, or from registering any document purporting to be a coalition agreement with the Democratic Party as a signatory until the case is heard and decided.
The speaker, together with Esau Kioni, Jacob Haji, Joseph Munyao, and Joseph Mathai, was named as a respondent.
The complainants described the coalition agreement as a dishonest appropriation of the NDC’s and other organs’ capacity to make decisions on the party’s behalf.
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Resolutions passed during the party’s NDC at the Bomas of Kenya, according to the petition, prohibit the party from entering into any pre-election coalition pact.
The petition also requests that the tribunal order the freeze of the Democratic Party’s two bank accounts to enable for an audit due to alleged misuse of funds.
Muturi who has been friends with President Uhuru Kenyatta for 35 years now, joined the Deputy President William Ruto-led coalition on April 9.
The Speaker who was last week under intense pressure to resign over bias, said the decision to join Kenya Kwanza was after wide consultations.
“Ata mimi sipangwingwi. Wale walikua wanafikiria wanaeza kunipanga poleni. Hii miaka yangu hainiruhusu kupangwa na mtu,” he said.
Loosely translates to: “Even me I cannot be directed on a political direction to take. Those who thought can direct me on where to go I’m sorry. At my age, I cannot be told which way to go.”
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