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Nyamweya's Ouster Invalid, Says Kalonzo

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The sacking of Mr Sam Nyamweya as Kisii Kanu branch secretary last Wednesday was yesterday contested by Kanu headquarters.

Party National Organising Secretary, Mr Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, said branch chairmen have no powers to single-handedly sack any official over personal differences.

He was commenting on Nyamweya's sacking by a group of Kisii Kanu branch officials led by the branch chairman, Prof Sam Ongeri, the Minister for Public Health.

Nyamweya was fired for allegedly supporting the candidature of Finance Minister, Mr Chris Obure, for the post of Kanu national vice-chairman during the joint Kanu/NDP conference for March 18.

"We are trying to avoid dictatorship in the party by encouraging consensus even among warring groups," Kalonzo said in response to a question.

He said branch officials have no powers to sack those with whom they had personal differences.

He narrated how he once tried to sack a Kanu location chairman in Mwingi District "and realised it is a difficult job".

But Ongeri said Nyamweya's suspension still stands.

He said the decision to suspend Nyamweya was not his alone but that of 18 members from the branch.

The minister added that Nyamweya's suspension was some sort of disciplinary action, adding that one individual should not commercialise the party.

Ongeri denied that he had manipulated the delegates list as alleged by Nyamweya.

"The list is the same, minus him (Nyamweya)," said Ongeri while talking to journalists at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while awaiting President Moi's arrival home from abroad. He denied that his differences with Nyamweya had any relation with the latter's support for Obure.

"It has no relation with Obure and I have no quarrel with the minister, none at all," he said, thus dismissing any speculations of a power struggle over the March 18 merger conference.

He, however, declined to say anything further, noting he will not waste time to answer an individual.

"Go to Kitutu-Chache to look for mandate and not talk in Nairobi," was his parting shot to Nyamweya.

On Wednesday, Nyamweya was suspended as the branch secretary and barred from handling party activities.

But in a quick rejoinder the same day, Nyamweya dismissed his suspension as null and void, saying the meeting was convened irregularly, without the attendance or consultation of the full branch executive committee.

He claimed Ongeri had no authority to suspend him as he was only a caretaker of branch affairs and not an elected chairman.