A former aspirant has filed a petition before the Political Parties Tribunal seeking compensation of Sh30 million from Amani National Congress (ANC) for allegedly “shortchanging” him.
In his complaint, Nelson Ogeto, a member of the party claims he was asked to step down for the current MP Charles Gimose in the race for Hamisi parliamentary seat in the run-up to the 2022 general election.
In return, he says, he was to be offered either the position of a speaker of Vihiga county assembly, nomination to the National Assembly, EALA or a legal adviser to Vihiga governor.
He, however, failed to get any of the positions.
“The party neither lived up to its promises owed nor made an attempt to, despite being in a position to honor the said pledges,” the affidavit sworn before advocate Felix Momanyi reads.
“He was omitted in the nomination list to parliament and instead his slot was given to someone else.”
Ogeto argues that the party did not also show any willingness to support him for the position of the speaker claiming even after presenting himself under the Kenya Kwanza banner which has a considerable number of elected and nominated members.
“The party neither supported his bid for the position nor made an attempt in securing it for him,” the documents state.
The pledge to have him nominated as the EALA MP, he notes, suffered the same fate after where it was given to elections board chairman Salim Bussaidy despite the conflict of interest over his nomination.
Ogeto says despite acting in good faith to the party, it was treated in contempt hence a breach of contract and violation of his party membership rights which has subjected him to emotional, physical, reputational and financial loss.
He alleges that all the money and resources he had invested in the party nomination process and by virtue of being a member have gone to waste and have yet to be refunded.
“The complainant’s reputation in the eyes of the constituents which he had hopes of representing are now viewing him as a leader that could not propel their aspirations they had hoped he would be its flag bearer,” it reads.
The matter came up on February 8, before the Tribunal’s chairman Desma Nungo.
It is set to come up for directions on February 16.
