Former ANC secretary general Barrack Muluka was forced to quit the party by the National Executive Council, the Star has reliably established.
He disagreed with proposed changes to the party constitution that would weaken the secretary general’s position, an NEC member said, adding that Muluka was told to resign or be fired.
The details emerged as Eliud Owalo, a political strategist and an ANC member, tendered his resignation on Friday.
Owalo said his departure from ANC would create “reasonable legroom” between himself and party leader Mudavadi Mudavadi to safeguard and sustain their “personal friendship”.
“Now I feel it is imperative for me to create ample space within the Party and around the Party leader to enable the ANC to strategically position itself effectively in the operational environment and craft a suitable roadmap moving forward, without feeling suffocated by my views and suggestions,” Owalo said in his resignation letter.
The exit of Muluka and Owalo in just 48 hours has exposed the power struggles roiling ANC and concerns the two resignations could damage Mudavadi’s image.
The Star has established the NEC had given Muluka until Friday, August 14, to tender his resignation or be forced out.
The ultimutum followed a heated exchange with some NEC members during a meeting on Tuesday, which was also attended by Mudavadi.
Following the falling out with ANC’s supreme organ, Muluka on Wednesday quit the party, saying he had completed his mission and had nothing more of value to add to the outfit.
A member of the NEC on Friday revealed that Muluka’s woes stemmed from changes proposed to the ANC party constitution.
“It is the NEC members who asked Muluka to leave and not party leader Musalia Mudavadi. Mudavadi had in fact left the meeting to attend to other matters when we had a heated exchange,” he told the Star in confidence.
However, in his letter, Muluka said the space around Musalia should be “decongested”, perhaps suggesting competing forces around the party leader.
When contacted by the Star, Muluka declined to comment on whether his decision to quit was directly linked to wrangles in the party.
He said the explanation in his letter was sufficient.
Muluka said, however, that changes to the party constitution, which he oversaw, will give ANC “a good chance for a fresh start and a new lease on life”.
The ANC has already notified the public the party is set to amend its constitution.
The notice was published on July 28 after the party endorsed Mudavadi as its flagbearer in the 2022 presidential contest.
Ironically, it was Muluka who called the Tuesday NEC meeting that turned the tables against him.
Insiders told the Star Muluka became “verbally violent” after proposals were made to weaken the position of secretary general.
“Secretary generals make a lot of money during elections since they are the ones who sign nomination certificates in most instances. We wanted to seal that loophole and he seemed unhappy that the position had been watered down,” another NEC official said.
According to that official, Mluka stormed out of the meeting but came back, still combative.
“We asked him why he was frustrating efforts to amend the constitution and he could not answer. It was then that we told him to resign,” he said.
ANC national chairman Kelvin Lunani termed as “theories” claims that Muluka was pushed out of the party.
He said the party’s competitors should keep off ANC’s affairs “and reserve their gossip and intrigues for issues that bedevil their own parties”.
“For members, followers and supporters of ANC, I reassure them all is all right with their party. There is no vacuum following the resignation as the party machinery has already seamlessly kicked in,” Lunani said.
He added, “We should therefore guard against designs to disorient and disorganise us from our steadfast loyalty to our party and party leader Musalia Mudavadi.”
Soon after his resignation on Wednesday, Mudavadi “unreservedly” thanked the former secretary general for his commitment and service to the party since 2017.
“On behalf of the ANC fraternity, I want to unreservedly thank Barrack for the committed service he gave the party for nearly three years. His was not an easy responsibility as he served the party through various defining and intractable moments,” he said.
Lunani also thanked Barrack for his service and wished him success in future undertakings.
He said ANC’s national executive views the resignation as an opportunity to re-engineer the party in preparation for internal elections and the 2022 General Elections.
“We therefore appeal to ANC adherents to recommit themselves to party ideals and the vision of the party leader. We take consolation that ANC is not the only party that is restructuring,” Lunani added.
In his letter, Muluka said he had asked the Registrar of Political Parties to strike his name from the register of the ANC, adding he is now not a member of any party.
“Please note that I do not now belong to any political party or organisation,” he said.
The proposed changes to ANC’s constitution also involve a radical provision that would bar Mudavadi from being anyone’s presidential running mate in 2022.
The changes would automatically make the party leader the presidential candidate.
Deputy party leader Ayub Savula said it will be impossible for Mudavadi to be anyone’s running mate, unless he ditches the party.
Savula said should Mudavadi want to be someone’s running mate, he would have to seek approval of the party’s National Governing Council, which he said would be a tall order.
“Mudavadi will not go to Deputy President William Ruto as a running mate because that will be in contravention of the ANC constitution. It is sealed and completed,” Savula reiterated.
Ruto and Mudavadi can only run on a joint ticket if the DP is the presidential candidate, with Mudavadi as his number two.
The Kenyan Constitution bars Ruto from seeking a third term as deputy president, complicating the possibility of the two coming to an arrangement for a joint ticket.