Kiraitu invades Munya bedroom – Weekly Citizen

Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi has turned the tables against his archrival, Trade cabinet secretary Peter Munya after Party of National Unity officials joined his camp.

Munya who has declared interest in running for the gubernatorial seat he lost to Kiraitu in 2017 election, suffered a setback after the officials decamped from his camp a few months after kicking off the rebranding of the party.

The PNU former national treasurer Peter Kaberia and two others announced they have joined Kiraitu ahead of the 2022 elections. The governor has declared he will be defending his seat.

The team was led by former PNU senatorial candidate and chairman of Kenya Industrial Estates Mugambi Imanyara, and former running mate in the gubernatorial contest Peter Kaberia.

Kaberia who was former governor Munya’s running mate in the 2017 election, former Igembe North MP Ntoitha M’Mithiaru and businessman Kiriinya Nairuti said they had ditched PNU.

The three have always been seen as close allies of Munya, who is now the Trade cabinet secretary.

They join several other allies of Munya, including lawyer Mugambi Imanyara and Tigania East MP Josphat Kabeabea, who have joined Kiraitu’s camp.

Kaberia and M’Mithiaru held a closed-door meeting with Kiraitu before declaring their move to decamp.

But in a statement, the PNU secretariat termed the defectors as imposters.

The PNU secretariat maintained that the party is still strong despite the defections.

Kiraitu, who received the three said he is keen to work with his opponents in implementing his development agenda. This come days after a fresh leadership row hit PNU.

According to a notice in an advertisement placed in the newspapers, top officials of the party, the Registrar of Political Parties and Munya were required to appear at the Political Parties Tribunal on September 17 for a hearing.

The dispute was taken to the tribunal by Anastasia Munyendo, the former longserving party treasurer who was demoted to secretary for social services during a delegate’s conference on May 24.

Munyendo named Munya as well as the party officials John Kamama (organising secretary), Paul Rukaria (first national vice chairman) and the PNU elections board as respondents in the case.

Munya

PNU secretary general John Anunda and the Registrar of Political Parties were also named as interested parties in the case.

Munyendo claimed she was shortchanged during the May delegates conference which saw allies of Munya take top positions in the party.

PNU new list of officials was gazetted by the Registrar of Political Parties on June 7 2019.

Prior to the repeat presidential election held on October 26 2017, PNU was hit by a rift after Kamama disowned the endorsement of Nasa presidential candidate Raila Odinga by Munya.

In a statement rubbishing the announcement, Kamama said PNU was firmly and solidly backing the re-election of Uhuru Kenyatta as it had been resolved by party delegates in May.

Munya, days to the repeat presidential election, decamped from Raila camp and rejoined the Uhuru camp.