NAIROBI, September 16- The recruitment of members by the Party of National Unity (PNU) recruitment drive was characterised by little activity countrywide as it entered the second day.
In South Imenti the exercise failed to kick off as PNU supporters’ waited for communication from area Member of Parliament Kiraitu Murungi, who is also the party convener for Eastern Province.
The case was the same in Nyeri where a few people turned up to register even though uncertainty continued.
PNU affiliated MPs among them Cabinet Ministers John Michuki, Beth Mugo, Kiraitu Murungi, Yusuf Haji, former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya and Government Chief Whip George Thuo met at the party headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday to collect membership cards to be used for recruitment in their constituencies.
The party’s coordinator Noah Wekesa said the exercise would go into overdrive once membership cards were widely distributed.
“We now have party cards ready for anyone to buy form our headquarters or provincial offices,” he said and added that MPs, parliamentary candidates, councillors and individuals could purchase the cards which will go for Sh10.
The anticipated PNU registration kicked off on Monday afternoon after hours of delay and confusion after a formal launch by Wekesa, who blamed the delay on logistical issues.
Addressing a news conference after meeting PNU MPs Wekesa said the success of the exercise depended on how they spearhead it.
“You are the leaders and we are counting on you to build the party out there,” Weksa told them.
Three PNU affiliate parties, the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), SAFINA and Narc Kenya threatened to take legal action if the membership recruitment and grassroots elections scheduled for October went ahead. The parties also vowed to conduct their own recruitment.
The party under which President Mwai Kibaki sought re-election last year suffered a major blow on Sunday, when eight MPs from the Meru region withdrew their support claiming that the exercise had pre-planned so that certain individuals are imposed on them.
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