Ford Kenya quits NASA as Wetangula calls for funds audit

A faction of Ford Kenya affiliated with Moses Wetangula has demanded transparency in sharing funds among the National Super Alliance (Nasa) parties, even as it announced its exit from the moribund coalition.

Speaking after the party’s National General Council (NGC) meeting in Nairobi, Wetangula demanded that Nasa’s financial statements be released to ensure each party got their rightful share of the political parties funds.

“Ford Kenya demands that the complete statement of accounts on party resources from the national coffers be rendered in accordance to the Political Parties Act,” said Wetangula.

The Ford Kenya boss dismissed talk that ODM had been magnanimous by sharing the political parties’ funds, saying they deserved their dues.

ODM said it would allocate Sh70 million to Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper, for financial years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/2020, Sh43.9 million to Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), Sh36 million to Ford-K and Sh3 million to Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM).

Wetang’ula said they were yet to receive the cash, even as he announced that his party would quit Nasa.

“We will communicate to the registrar of political parties of our decision to leave Nasa immediately,” he said, adding that the move would let the party engage with like-minded parties.

Wetangula’s Ford Kenya is in advanced talks with other former Nasa partners – ANC and Wiper – and the Kenya African National Union (Kanu) to forge the One Kenya Alliance (OKA).

He was flanked by lawmakers Richard Onyonka (deputy party leader and Kitutu Chache), Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini), Ferdinand Wanyonyi (Kwanza), Majimbo Kalasinga (Kabuchai) and Nasri Sahal (Nominated MP).

“We will join other parties in OKA to come up with a consolidated manifesto,” said Onyonka.

The move comes on the heels of similar proclamations by other Nasa partners – ODM, Wiper and ANC.

All Nasa partners are yet to officially withdraw from the coalition. Three parties are required to leave the coalition to have it dissolved. Wetang’ula said his party was open to working with Raila Odinga’s ODM under a new framework.

“Politics is about interests and not enmity. Yesterday’s enemies are today’s allies,” he said.

The decision to leave Nasa sets the divided party up for renewed wars. If Raila’s ODM, Mudavadi’s ANC and Kalonzo’s Wiper officially resign from Nasa, wrangles around the latest move may soon be inconsequential.

But the fight on whether the party can join OKA may be the next battleground. On Friday, a section of Ford Kenya leaders allied to Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi protested the planned marriage under OKA, saying the move must be ratified by a properly constituted National Delegates Conference (NDC).

Speaking in Mombasa, the officials from Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa said Senator Wetangula had no powers to call for an NDC or negotiate for a coalition.

"We are aware of planned meeting of people purporting to be the party's delegates in Nairobi. Grassroots elections were conducted in 2019 and there is no vacuum," said Kwale County chairman Mohamed Nyonyo, terming any decision made by Wetangula or other officials of the national office “an illegality”.

In a recent interview, Tongaren MP and secretary-general of Wamunyinyi’s faction Eseli Simiyu made similar remarks, terming the move inconsequential.

“Ford Kenya is currently paralysed since the matter (leadership wrangles) is in court,” said Simiyu.

Wetang’ula downplayed the wrangles saying the party would deal with “errant members”, some of whom the party had resolved to expel.

“A sanction is and is hereby given to Ford Kenya party members who have engaged in errant activities in destabilising the party,” he added.