UDA grassroots elections planned for Friday will go on as planned, National Elections Board chairman Anthony Mwaura has said.
He declared as null and void purpoted postponment of the elections in West Pokot county by secretary general Cleophas Malala.
In a statement Thursday evening, Mwaura said Article 21 of the UDA Constitution establishes the National Elections Board as an independent organ of the party that must act independent of any direction from anybody or any party organ.
“Resultantly, any notice purporting to address election matters is unlawful, without basis and is therefore null and void,” he said.
The UDA chair said the matter was clarified by the Political Parties and Disputes Tribunal in complaint 23 of 2023 pitting Walter Trenk and others and Malala.
“A declaration be and is hereby issued that the National Elections Board is the only organ of the interested party (UDA) mandated to plan, organise, direct and coordinate internal party elections, and therefore make announcements related to the preparations for the forthcoming grassroots elections,” the Tribunal ruled thus.
As a consequence, Mwaura said UDA will carry on with all constituency level elections scheduled to take place on Friday, May 31, 2024, in compliance with earlier notice.
“All subsequent elections will continue in accordance with the schedule or as shall by time to time be notified,” he said.