Dadaab MP Farah Maalim has denied claims that he sought to be reinstated as the Wiper Party deputy leader.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, Maalim said he learnt of his gazettement as Wiper deputy party leader through social media.
“For the information of all I never asked the Wiper Party to retain me as deputy party leader. It came as a surprise when I read in social media that I was gazetted as the deputy party leader. I have absolutely no intention of retaining the position of deputy party leader in the Wiper Party. I politely decline the offer and will communicate the same to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP),” Maalim stated.
This comes hours after the Wiper Party faulted ORPP for gazetting Maalim as the deputy party leader, terming it as illegal.
“Wiper is very concerned about the belated Gazettment of former party officials, information which is now hitting headlines despite the fact that those appointments have been overtaken by events. A political party must notify the Registrar of such changes. In turn, the Registrar is legally bound to publish a notice of these intended changes in the Kenya Gazette within fourteen (14) days of receiving the notification,” Wiper party secretary general Shakila Abdalla stated.
“In compliance with this legal requirement, the Wiper Democratic Movement submitted our notification to the Registrar through email (Our Ref: WDM/ORPP/22/5/24 dated 22nd May 2024), formally notifying her of change of office location and changes in party officials. This step was taken in good faith, with the understanding that the Registrar would follow the stipulated process and publish the intended changes in the Kenya Gazette as required by law.”
The party, led by Kalonzo Musyoka, termed the actions by ORPP as a gross neglect of duty and a violation of the law by the very office tasked with upholding it.
“Let it be known that the Registrar’s office failed to publish our intention in the Kenya Gazette within the fourteen-day period as required by Section 20(1) of the Political Parties Act. It was only on 4th October, 2024-four months later – that the Registrar published a notice in the Kenya Gazette, an action that is in direct contravention of the law,” Abdalla added.
“The timing of the gazettement by the Registrar is not lost to us given the political climate. We firmly believe that it is ill-intentioned and motivated, leading to purposeful scrutiny by the mainstream and online media on the subject of Deputy Party Leader Hon. Farah Maalim and his standing in the party.”
Wiper says Maalim was de-whiped on July 10, 2024, through a unanimous decision reached by the National Executive Council meeting.
The party says the process to formally remove him is currently with the party’s disciplinary committee which has written to him twice to which he has failed to acknowledge and respond to.
“Once the Disciplinary Committee advises that Hon Maalim be relieved of his current position, indeed be expelled from the party, the same will require ratification by a special National Delegates Convention (NDC), we will formally communicate the same to the public and the ORPP,” Abdalla added.
Wiper has demanded a public explanation by the ORPP, as to the four-month delay in the gazettement of its party officials
“We strongly believe that this is not the usual bureaucratic negligence, but a deliberate, indeed intentional obstruction by the ORPP for reasons only known to them. The Wiper Democratic Movement will pursue all legal avenues available to ensure that our rights and those of our members are respected,” she added.
