Labour Party of Kenya Ababu Namwamba during the relaunch of Labour Party of Kenya at a Nairobi hotel.
BY SAM ALFAN
Political parties dispute tribunal has for the second time stopped Bundalangi Ababu Namwamba from pretending to be a member or official of the Labor Party of Kenya pending the hearing of a petition lodged Zaccheus Wangila Simiyu.
The tribunal directed that the matter be served forthwith for inter-parties hearing on the 28 of March this year.
Zaccheus Wangila Simiyu a member of the Party argues that Namwamba is not a member of LPK adding that Namwambas name does not even appear in the register of LPK Zacheus membership number 06947238 and claims that he has been a member of the party since September 2016.
“At no time has the respondent -Ababu Namwamba been a member of the LPK party and as far as this tribunal is concerned,he is still a member of ODM,”argues Wangila.
The court heard that Namwamba is misleading the general public by misrepresenting to them that he is a bona fide member and party Leader of LPK.
The petitioner claims that he is apprehensive that Namwamba shall continue misleading the public and enter into transactions or political bargains under the guise of being a member and a party leader of the LPK.
Last week Namwamba made a dramatic come-back as the party leader of the Labour Party of Kenya (LPK) after a petition challenging his legitimacy was withdrawn.
The party’ s National Chairperson, Dr Julia Ojiambo and the treasurer, Patrick Mutemi, formally disclosed to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal that the complainant, John Baraza Makokha, was not a member of the Labour Party.
“This is to certify that John Makokha is not a member of Labour Party” said the letter.
Lawyer Muga Apondi conceded that Baraza had no legal capacity to institute the suit, in which the tribunal gave orders on February 28 suspending leadership and membership of the party. He unsuccessfully applied to substitute the petitioner.
When the tribunal slapped the temporary injunction against Ababu, its Chairman Kyalo Mbobu and member Milly Odoyo had directed Baraza-who described himself as “a believer in the rule of law”-to file a supplementary affidavit explaining his relationship with LPK. He had claimed that Namwamba was misleading the public and infringed on the political rights of the party.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal will handle the matter on March 28 for further directions.
