More and more political party leaders in Kenya are being overthrown from their positions. Uhuru Kenyatta was reportedly ousted late last month as chairman of KANU, Kenya’s founding party. Now, Musikari Kombo, chairman of Ford-Kenya party was reportedly toppled in a well-executed plot. Kombo said there is a deliberate attempt to kill multi-party politics in Kenya. But he said the attempt to oust him as chairman of Ford-Kenya did not succeed.
“There was an attempt, a palace coup. But that did not work out. I did go to court when that attempt was made, and the court clearly ruled that in respecting the rule of law and that appreciating that political parties are a strong pillar in democracy, the court would not allow such nonsense. I’m still the chairman of the party, he said.
Kombo said many people are responsible for the attempt to overthrow him as party leader.
“First of all, the people used in my own party are people who on their own cannot put up that kind of force. So obviously it was clear that they are serving masters. They are not doing it in their own interests at all. So who? I think there are many people. There are those who are afraid that in a strong democracy, their dictatorial tendencies would not be allowed. And so such a group will subvert anybody who believes in multiparty democracy like myself,” Kombo said.
Supporters of Uhuru Kenyatta had said that President Mwai Kibaki and former president Daniel Arap Moi were behind Kenyatta ouster as head of KANU. But Kombo said in his case, the two leaders are not directly involved in the attempt to stifle multiparty politics in Kenya.
“I don’t see President Kibaki or retired President Moi in my affairs. But I see individuals who may be allies of President Kibaki or President Moi. But I don’t think they are directly involved. But there are individuals who are my colleagues within the government. There are my colleagues who are political competitors. I see their hands in all this,” Kombo said.
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