Revealed: Reasons behind Gideon Moi, Nick Salat tussle for Kanu control

Claims of unauthorised sale of some of the prime assets belonging to independence party Kanu is said to be at the heart of the current bad blood between its chairman Gideon Moi and secretary general Nick Salat.

Officials in Mr Moi’s faction told Sunday Nation that besides insubordination and misconduct, Mr Salat engaged in the sale of some of the party assets without authorisation by the relevant organs. But Mr Salat dismissed the claims and challenged the party to produce any transaction that does not have Mr Moi’s signature.

Mr Moi and Mr Salat are signatories to the party accounts, according to documents filed with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP). Kanu had in 2012 claimed ownership of assets worth Sh2 billion. The value could be higher a decade later.

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Kanu on Thursday suspended Mr Salat over alleged misconduct and violation of party constitution. An official in the Moi camp said the charges the party’s disciplinary committee will table against Mr Salat include his alleged involvement in the disposal of party assets. Sunday Nation has also learnt that Mr Moi has this morning called for a crisis meeting at his Kabarak home.

Mr Moi is expected to meet with officials from the 47 counties to stem internal rebellion against him after Mr Salat called for his resignation. “The chairman will be meeting with all the 47 county party officials at his Kabarak home at 9am. This is part of the preparation for the restructuring of the party,” said a party official, who requested anonymity.

Mr Salat yesterday indicated his plans to proceed to court to stop his possible ouster from the outfit. He said Mr Moi has been involved in every transaction the party has done. “Tell them not to go that direction because it will end up with casualties. No transaction takes place without his (Moi’s) signature. Tell them to show you any transaction that has been done without him appending his signature,” he said.

“Why can’t they provide you with a list of the property? Any transactions the party has done, he (Mr Moi) is involved.”

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The party had previously claimed that some of its Sh2 billion assets had been grabbed even as it sought to reclaim them.

During its heyday, Kanu had offices and assets countrywide and it was difficult to differentiate them from government ones.

Those shown in its 2012 list include Kanu House Building in Nakuru, 150 acres in Naivasha and several other parcels of land, including beachfront plots in Lamu and Malindi. The party also has houses in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Machakos, Meru, Kisii, Kitale, Rumuruti, Kabarnet, Isiolo, Kitui, Narok and Kilgoris.

Others are in Homa Bay, Kajiado, Garissa, Wajir and Marsabit.

In a letter filed with the ORPP on April 23, 2012, Kanu listed Mr Moi, Mr Salat and Engineer Shadrack Manga as signatories to the party’s accounts. Eng. Manga died in March last year when he was serving as Kanu’s first vice chairman. He was made a signatory when he was deputy national organising secretary. “Following our National Delegates’ Conference on April 14, 2012, it was resolved that interim party officials will run the affairs of the party until new officials take office after the party’s elections to be done in due course,” stated the letter.

“Following these resolutions, I wish to inform you that we are hereby changing the signatories to the party’s accounts. The signatory of Nick Salat, the interim secretary general, is retained. The others are Gideon Moi, the interim chairman, and Eng. Shadrack Manga, the interim deputy national organising secretary.”