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The Farmers Party of Kenya is embroiled in leadership wrangles with Irungu Nyakera and Richard Nyongesa Wanjalla fighting over the leadership of the party.
Wanjalla had been serving as the Deputy Party Leader since the party was founded in 2007 while Nyakera has been serving as national chairman.
At the heart of the issue was the recent appointment of Irungu Nyakera as a new party leader replacing David Nduati Kigochi who died last year.
However, Farmers Party Secretary General John Kahura had since stated that Nyakera’s position as the party’s national chairman had not changed unlike what media reports indicated.
This contradiction had confused party members and supporters, with many unsure of whom to turn to for direction and guidance.
Speaking to Star, Irungu Nyakera maintained that he had been elected as the party’s leader and pointed out that John Kahura was no longer the party Secretary General.
He said that Simon Chege Kamangu had since replaced Kahura as secretary general.
He said that the National executive committee last week endorsed him(Nyakera) as the party leader and the committee further proposed the suspension of the three officials and John Kahura (secretary general) among them.
He noted that the three failed to attend the meeting without issuing an apology.
“Simon Chege Kamangu was proposed as acting secretary general, Brian Kigiochi (treasurer), and Maxwell Kihara as an executive director,” Nyakera said.
Nyakera said that the party is intact and sad that John Kahura should not issue any statement on behalf of the party.
Farmers’ Party national director for publicity Albert Kasembeli told the Star that the National Executive Committee pledged to support Nyakera and urged him to push for the interest of farmers in government.
He said that Kahura was suspended awaiting disciplinary action.
Kasembeli noted that the party constitution allows the national chairman (Then Was Nyakera) to call for a meeting and thus, it met all the constitutional thresholds.
He said that the names of the proposed members will be shared with the registrar of a political party as it’s the norm during party leadership changes.
“There are no wrangles in our party and members agreed to endorse Nyakera to push on the party matters in the Kenya Kwanza government,’ Kasembeli said.
In a statement on Wednesday, John Kahura said Nyakera’s position as the party’s national chairman has not changed and called the meeting null and void.
“Farmers Party through its leadership wishes to notify its members and members of the public of the circulating news that one Irungu Nyakera, CBS is not our new Party Leader,” Kahura said.
“Nyakera remains the national chairperson for Farmers Party contrary to his communication on his Facebook page that he has been nominated as the new Party Leader.”
Nyakera had announced his elevation to the party leadership position on February 17 saying it followed the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at a Nairobi hotel.
But Kahura said resolutions of the purported NEC meeting are null and void since the meeting was convened without consultation as is required by the Farmers Party Constitution.
“There was no adequate notice to members of NEC and just a few members were handpicked to decide on the new Party Leader,” he said.
“This overrides the spirit of unity within the party as a principle in holding the party together,” Kahura added.