Editor's Review

The Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi has been dealt a major blow after the Political Parties Tribunal declared his pact with Kenya Kwanza Coalition Null and Void.

The Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi has been dealt a major blow after the Political Parties Tribunal declared his pact with Kenya Kwanza Coalition Null and Void.

According to the tribunal, the agreement between Muturi's Democratic Party and Kenya Kwanza was unlawful.

The tribunal went ahead to also rule that Muturi was unlawfully appointed as the leader of the Democratic Party, during a Special Delegates National Convention on February 20.

This came after three DP party officials; Wambugu Nyamu, Daniel Munene, and King'ori Choto filed a petition before the tribunal. The three had also requested to know the source of Muturi's funds used to conduct the party's National Delegates Conference in April.

{Speaker Justin Muturi when he accompanied Kenya Kwanza leaders on Saturday for a campaign trail in Karatina Nyeri county. Photo: Courtesy}

They accused Muturi of forcefully becoming the DP leader despite opposition from party members.

Delivering its verdict, the Tribunal headed by Jessica M'mbetsa, Dr. Adelaide Mbithi and Samuel Nderitu said Muturi's appointment was unlawful and contravened Article 10 (b) (1) of the Party Constitution.

"The appointment of the first respondent (Justin Muturi) as the party leader for the Democratic party of Kenya by the Special National Delegates Conference on 2oth February 2022, was unprocedural and his hereby declared null and void," said the tribunal’s Chairperson Jessica M’mbetsa.

The tribunal also ruled that Muturi’s appointment as Democratic Party leader was unlawful since he had not been in the party for one year as required by the party constitution

This came after Muturi's team had presented a preliminary objection seeking to have the complaint struck out on grounds that the three had not exhausted the internal party mechanisms.

“The respondent has been running the affairs of the party in secrecy and has deliberately concealed information on the signed resolutions of the National Delegates Convention held on 20th February 2022,” read the petition.