Trouble
is brewing in UDF as MCAs threaten to pass a vote of no confidence in
chairman Osman Hassan. Hassan who until formation of UDF was a procurement
officer at the defunct PNU secretariat, is being accused of sabotage of party activities and decisions, commercialising
his position and inciting the National Executive Committee members against party leader Musalia Mudavadi.
In
what may turn out to be a militant group out to assert their presence in UDF,
MCAs also blame the party leader of pampering, babysitting and accommodating
Hassan’s subversion for too long. MCAs are angry that Hassan has blocked their
representation at the NEC because he wants only loyalists he can compromise.
MCAs have also threatened to withdraw their monthly contributions to the party
if Hassan remains chairman. If all MCAs contribute the party would get
Sh445,000 monthly.
“We
know he is a mole and does not want a strong UDF as long he personally benefits
from facilitation from the ruling coalition. UDF is nothing without Mudavadi
yet Hassan thinks he owns the party. He seems to have instructions to stop
Mudavadi,” an MCA said.
Early
this year, 89 MCAs chose their representatives to NEC and the political council
during a retreat in Lamu but despite the NEC resolution, Hassan has sat on the
decision by not signing the minutes. He is accused of sabotaging party
programmes that do not benefit him financially.
“At
Maanzoni, I was dismayed that the chairman would lie to us that MCAs NEC member
nominees and confirming new branch officials had to wait for a strange vetting
committee. He even made it sound like a personal favour from him yet we are the
largest group of elected officials,” said Ahuga Mwenesi, Vihiga county assembly
majority leader.
“This
man is extremely selfish and greedy. He uses the party to gain business favours
from government. We now want him to account for nomination fees paid by
aspirants last year. We also want him investigated on how he acquired 600
hectares in Lamu,” said a member of the election board. The land ownership in
Lamu is a new twist given ongoing investigations about illegal land
transactions in the county. It is instructive that when Lamu governor Issa
Timamy was arrested, Mudavadi led UDF MPs in defence but Hassan was
conspicuously absent.
In
another twist, the chairman is being alleged of using his position to get
government jobs for relatives and cronies purporting them to be UDF members. It
is alleged that he has already presented a list through URP for ongoing
appointments without authority from the party. Also under focus is protection
of cronies like a brother who is chairman of a pensioners’ body within the
ministry of Social Services.
Hassan,
a nominated UDF MP benefited from withdrawal of Mudavadi’s name from the list
of party nominees in the last election and is being accused of bringing nothing
to the party. “Of what value is he when he brought no single vote? When it fits him, he alternately claims
origins from Mandera, Uasin Gishu and Coast,” said a source within the NEC.
UDF
branches countrywide accuse him of undermining the restructuring of the party
ahead of scheduled national elections in October. Petitions from branches to
discipline errant officials and change of officials been blocked by Hassan.
He
showed us a bitter exchange between Mudavadi’s private secretary Kibisu
Kabatesi and Hassan over MCAs invitation to Maanzoni last week. Apparently
Mudavadi had instructed Kabatesi to invite the MCAs, a decision which Hassan
attempted to countermand.
“Good
afternoon, kindly not that the scheduled meeting invited by Kabatesi is only
for NEC members. We shall call you for your meeting,” wrote Hassan to invited
MCAs.
“Party
chairman, kindly note that the invitation was by the party leader not me. If
you’ve a problem with bonafide MCAs reps at NEC, consult with party leader
rather than undermining his instructions. Otherwise the MCAs invitation by the
party leader still stands,” shot back Kabatesi in an SMS copied to Mudavadi and
the MCAs.
“We
couldn’t believe that the chairman could challenge the party leader so openly.
We know that Kabatesi speaks for the party leader and we found the chairman out
of order and went to the retreat. Even at Maanzoni, he was busy inciting his
NEC loyalists to walk out of the retreat to protest our presence!” said a
shocked MCA.
Hassan
has for long come under a barrage of accusations from party branches in the
western region of sabotaging the NEC and party leader Musalia Mudavadi
strongholds by either hiding petitions or refusing to sign resolutions passed
by NEC which he chairs, in exchange for handouts. Hassan was reprimanded for
sitting on a NEC resolution confirming change of branch officials in Vihiga.
Hassan and nominated senator Martha Wangari who is also party treasurer met a
former secretary in Vihiga even after Hassan was accused in Lamu by MCAs of
“calling and assuring the deposed official that nothing will happen as he will
not sign” confirmation of new officials in Vihiga branch.
UDF
parliamentary colleagues have noted that after replacing Mudavadi in the
nomination slot and going to parliament, Hassan has abandoned party affairs and
scattered the UDF parliamentary group for Muslim and Somali MPs caucuses. In a
Naivasha retreat last November, sources say he pushed for Mudavadi to call a
press conference and renounce the cooperation. But to the shock of many he was
the main lobbyist for retaining cooperation at a March retreat at Elmenteita
while the majority participants denounced the cooperation.
Hassan
is further accused of working in cahoots with and protecting dissenters and
links with URP leadership. UDF circles are suspicious that given his sour
relationship with presidential adviser Abdikadir, the chairman is working with
the URP wing of the Jubilee coalition and has become an intermediary for
majority leader Duale in recruiting UDF MPs. For instance, efforts to
discipline Boni Khalwale have come a cropper as he has sat on a petition for
recall from Kakamega branch since November last year.
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