Party Coup: Moses Wetangula removed as Ford Kenya leader

 

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has been kicked out as Ford Kenya party leader.

The decision was arrived at on Sunday, May 31, after the party’s special National Executivetive Council (NEC) meeting at Nairobi's Radisson Blu Hotel.

The party’s NEC has accused Wetangula of gross misconduct and failing to champion unity in the party.

Other charges levelled against Wetangula include failing to reconcile warring members to eliminate friction in the party

The former Minority Leader in the Senate is also accused of failing to provide inspiring leadership to the party contrary to Clause 49 of the party’s constitution.

Wetangula (pictured) has been replaced by Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi as interim party leader.

The meeting was led by Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati and the party's Secretary General Dr Eseli Simiyu as pro-Wetangula party members protested.

Also thrown out during the changes is party Organising Secretary Chris Mandu in a meeting which Wetangula allies storm out of the venue.

Earlier, Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi, Wetangula’s ally, was thrown out of the meeting after accusing Wangamati of plotting to remove Wetangula as the party leader.

Wanyonyi accused Wangamati of trying to elbow Wetangula out of the party for selfish reasons.

“These are political machination plotted by Wangamati and his sympathisers to take control of the party, but we will not allow him,” he said.

The legislator wondered why he was being ejected out of the meeting yet he is a bonafide member of the party.

"Why are they chasing me away? We are here, it is not going on. Wangamati and his group are in there meeting," he said.

Some of the party members backing Wangamati have accused Wetangula of doing very little to grow the party hence the need to effect the changes.

"Party members have lost trust in the party leader hence the need to replace him to develop the party."

The Ford Kenya meeting comes after another meeting led by Cotu boss Francis Atwoli that brought together 40 MPs from Western held in Kajiado which was skipped by Wetangula and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.