President William Ruto seems to have punctured Independence-era political party Kenya African National Union (KANU) by poaching two of its key members and effectively sending disillusioned Chairman Gideon Moi back to the drawing board.
In the latest attempt to put his crumbling house back in order, Gideon has notified the Office of Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) of plans to effect changes in its list of officials.
In a notice dated December 22, KANU also notified ORPP that their offices have moved from Chania Avenue in Kilimani to the Prudential building, located at the Nairobi CBD.
Tiaty MP William Kamket, a long-time ally of KANU chairman Gideon Moi, before he switched camp to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza, is set to lose his party chief whip position.
Gideon has allocated the slot to North Horr MP Ware Guyo Adhe.
Additionally, embattled Kiambu politician Gladys Chania, who is facing murder charges, has also been stripped of her position as KANU Women Council National Secretary.
The position has been handed to Tume Abduba.
KANU also gave the parliamentary leader slot to Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda to replace former nominated MP Maison Leshomo.
Leshomo lost in the Samburu Woman Representative’s race to Pauline Lenguris of UDA in the August general election.
Brenda Majune will be the party’s Women Council National Treasurer, taking over from former East Africa Legislative Assembly member Sarah Bonaya.
This change of guard comes days after the party suspended Secretary General Nick Salat and summoned him to appear before the disciplinary committee to determine his fate in the former ruling party.
This followed an alleged secret late-night meeting between Salat and President William Ruto, where a host of political issues were discussed; including strategies to frustrate Moi’s ambition to run for the presidency in 2027.
Word has been going around that Salat’s pockets have recently run dry after his party leader stopped funding his lavish lifestyle following the defeat of the Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga in the August polls.
It is understood that Ruto had initially tried to reach out to the former Baringo senator, but he declined the offer.
When the ostensibly broke Salat heard the news, he opted to accept the proposition in his best interests, to the dismay of his boss.
According to insiders within the KANU camp, Moi’s calculation was that Ruto will lose popularity countrywide, including Kalenjinland, where he has rubbed the community the wrong way by allowing the importation of GMO maize.
Many Kalenjins are maize farmers and have frowned at the move to import the commodity.
But as things now stand, Ruto has struck first by enticing Salat and Kamket, who have agreed to lead members of the party in striking an alliance with Kenya Kwanza and isolate the Chairman.
Inside Secret Ruto, Salat Night Meeting That Pushed Gideon Moi To The Wall
