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Kenya

Kibaki chairs PNU council meeting

NAIROBI, July 15 – President Mwai Kibaki chaired the Party of National Unity Council meeting amid growing tension among affiliate party members.

Some affiliate parties have boycotted the crucial meeting with some threatening to pull out of the party.

New Ford Kenya member Dr Bonny Khalwale told Capital News that he would not attend the meeting since the Party of National Unity (PNU) main aim was fulfilled following the re-election of President Kibaki.

“Since the mission behind the formation of PNU was accomplished, small parties now need to concentrate on building and strengthening their parties as the Political Parties law was already in place,” he said.

Khalwale said: “The responsibility for us is as party leaders is for us to build our respective parties because the Political Parties Act is now operational, for example I in new Ford Kenya, if I am caught up subscribing to PNU, I will be breaking the law.”

A statement from the Presidential Press Service said the meeting would focus on discussing the Political Parties Act.

President Kibaki assented to the Political Parties Bill in October last year paving way for the regulation and funding of political parties.

However sources told Capital News team that top on the agenda was the alleged witch-hunting of PNU ministers by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Several MPs from Central Kenya said ODM was targeting PNU ministers focusing on Former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya who was censured in parliament forcing him to step aside.

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They also cited pressure on Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who is alleged to have manhandled the list of councillors when he served as Local Government Minister.

 “ODM is targeting our ministers, see what they did to Kimunya, now they are pushing Uhuru Kenyatta, next they are aiming at Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi, we have to observe their intentions because they want to prove something,” said Maragua MP Elias Mbau.

The meeting also comes at a time when key party members are battling for the presidency ahead of the next general election scheduled for 2012.

Over the weekend, Kibaki criticised those behind the succession debate saying that it was too early to start campaigning.

PNU’s constituent parties include KANU, Ford-Kenya, Narc-Kenya, Shirikisho, Ford-People, New Ford Kenya and the Democratic Party (DP).

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