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The Service Party (TSP) has kicked off a rigorous membership registration campaign on ground and online, in a bid to woo as many Kenyans as possible to join the Twajiamini movement.

The party which marked one year since acquiring full registration on 5^th June has so far registered close to 800,000 members across the country.

Party Leader Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri acknowledged the support by enthusiastic Kenyans who believe in the party’s call for a united Kenya where every voice matters.

‘’ TSP has been conducting member recruitments drive which has received tremendous support across the country and our numbers have grown in leaps and bounds. We once again thank Kenyans for their warmth and enthusiastic support’’. Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri

The Service Party has created an Online registration where interested Kenyans can visit TSP website www.tsp.co.ke or use ussd code *483*633#.

By Zachary Gathuku

As the country gears up for 2022 general elections the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) has set guidelines on campaign financing in line with the Election Campaign Financing Act 2013.

 In a statement, the commission chairman Wafula Chebukati says political parties and candidates contesting in the 2022 general elections have until June 9^th 2022 to have established campaign financing accounts, establish campaign financing expenditure committees and the persons who will manage the accounts as per the act.

“The Act requires all Political Parties and Candidates contesting in the 2022 General Elections to at least 2 months before the General Elections open campaign financing accounts, establish campaign financing-expenditure committees and appoint authorized persons who will manage the campaign funds.”

The statement further says:

a) All Political Parties and Candidates contesting in the 2022 General Elections to establish Expenditure Committees comprising of persons nominated by the governing council of the political party or by the independent candidate as the case may be.

b) All Political Parties and Candidates contesting in the 2022 General Elections to submit names of persons authorized to manage their accounts being either the Candidate, Candidate’s Agent or Member of the Party Expenditure Committee.

c) All Authorized persons shall be required at registration to open campaign financing bank accounts where contributions by a candidate, political party or contributions received from a lawful source will be received and submit the details of the accounts to the Commission.

d) The Commission shall monitor and investigate all information relating to party nomination expenses and election campaign expenses of candidates and political parties. e) Expenditure Reports shall be submitted to the Commission, within twenty-one days of the political party nomination and within three months after elections.

The act was suspended in 2017 general elections after Orange Democratic Party ODM moved to court challenging the enactment of the act.

The Service Party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri now says that Kenya will not be at a loss whether the Constitution Amendment Bill (2020) sails through or not.

Speaking during the burial of Susan Wanjiku Wanjuki who was wife to former Laikipia West MP Dr. Wachira Karani at their Kinamba farm in Laikipia, Kiunjuri said that as much as there are good proposals in the draft bill, the referendum should not be a matter of life and death.

“whether the amendments pass or not, we will still have a constitution. Kenya has a constitution in place”

Kiunjuri further said that it would save the country time and money if the referendum is conducted earlier than scheduled, a situation he says will also prevent politicians from dragging the country into unnecessary political noise.

“why don’t we do the referendum in March or April, we are not opposing. so wacha iletwe tupige kura mapema, na hiyo pesa wangetumia kufanya campaigns isaidie wananchi na njia zingine”

The Service Party had drafted a raft of proposals it wanted included in the draft bill, which according to the party leader, about 90% have been factored in.

“sisi watu wa Laikipia tumeongezewa constituency moja, mambo ya one man one shilling imewekwa. sasa tutapinga aje na tunataka watu wetu wasaidike..”

Other leaders present during the burial ceremony included Laikipia MP Catherine Waruguru, Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, Laikipia West PM Patrick Mariru among other leaders.

The Service Party has been unequivocal about service delivery to the people. When the BBI report was launched at Bomas of Kenya, we outlined our irreducible minimum which included Guaranteed Minimum Returns for our farmers.

Equitable distribution of the national cake and non politicisation of electoral body IEBC. We asked our people to read the document, understand and point out their views.

As a Party, we recognise that the amended BBI document has addressed majority of issues that our people had raised. We are at the moment scrutizing views raised by our people before coming out with a party position.

However from the onset, we are concerned that some political brokers are pushing for an ‘us’ vs ‘Them’ contest that will definitely leave the country more divided.

We want to tell them that they will be in for a rude shock in the coming days when taps start to dry up during rainy season.

The Service Party leader Mwangi Kinjuri has told the government to open up the Building Bridges Initiative report for public scrutiny and review.

Kiunjuri on Tuesday said various groups have raised several issues they want to be considered. Most Kenyans support the document but have reservations about a few sections, he said.

“We were told to read the document and we did. What did they want us to do after reading?” Kiunjuri asked.

He said Kenyans need to be told the advantages the report presents and the shortcomings of the current Constitution so they can make informed decisions.

“We are now informing Kenyans and educating them on the report but at the end of the day, we need their views to be incorporated,” he added.

Earlier, Kiunjuri said the adoption of some of the proposals made by leaders from the pastoralist communities will take away what is good for Mt Kenya in the BBI.

“There should not be selective inclusion and skewed initiations. We have noted with concern that the Mt Kenya region and some sections of the Rift Valley region are not being invited and are largely being treated as complainants,” Kiunjuri said in a statement.

“There are some irreducible minimums that must remain intact for the objectives of the BBI to be achieved.”

However, speaking during a burial ceremony in Thangira village, Maragua, the former Agriculture CS termed it hypocritical for leaders to say the report will not be opened up for amendments.

ODM leader Raila Odinga on Monday ruled out any significant alteration of the report, saying only editorial work will be done. But Kiunjuri said the report should be reviewed if its true intention is to unite Kenyans.

“At the end of the day, the issues being raised are not more than 10. We have seen governors, MCAs, the clergy and other sections of Kenyans raising concerns and we are asking, ‘Why are we shying away from addressing the issues raised?” he said.

“We cannot say the document will not be amended, only to open it at night. Kenyans can see this is all politics. When the setup works for you and you think it can give you votes, then you prohibit amendments.”

Kiunjuri questioned why Raila agreed to have the document altered and then changed his mind. He said the final report should unite Kenyans and should not leave out crucial views.

Raila’s sentiments have been opposed by people, including Deputy President William Ruto, who has cautioned against building walls around the BBI report and locking out good ideas.

A section of MPs has also called for a minimum guarantee return fund that will include five per cent of the nationally generated revenue to be set up.

In Murang’a, MCAs have also called for the autonomy of county assemblies to liberate MCAs and enable them to oversee the operations of county governments.

Gatanga MCA Nahashon Gachuhi said a county assemblies service commission should be set up that will handle MCAs remuneration, similar to the Parliamentary Service Commission. He also wants governors to source their County Executive Committee members from counties and housing and vehicle grants issued to MCAs.

“MPs receive housing and vehicle grants of up to Sh15 million, while MCAs only receive Sh5 million loans to buy their vehicles and homes,” he said.

Gachuhi also wants the proposed ward development fund increased from five per cent to 15 per cent of the county’s revenue. He, however, praised the document for increasing the counties’ allocation from at least 15 per cent to at least 35 per cent, saying it will boost development.

As reported by The Star. See original story HERE

As reported by Nation.Africa

Service Party of Kenya (TSP) leader Mwangi Kiunjuri wants security apparatus to apply the new guidelines on political gatherings non-selectively and not to use them to punish leaders perceived to be anti-government.

The former CS said the new National Security Advisory Committee’s resolution requiring political leaders intending to hold public gatherings to seek approval from an officer commanding station of an area three days prior might be used to punish some politicians.

Speaking in Kitengela over the weekend in a tour to popularise his party, Mr Kiunjuri urged the government to ensure the new rule cut across the political divide fairly.

He cautioned security officers against being misused by government machineries to deny some leaders permission to hold meetings despite applying for the same.

“We support the new guidelines only if they will be applied to all leaders across the political divide. We fear the rule might be used to punish and frustrate leaders perceived to be anti-handshake politics,” said the former Agriculture CS.

Mr Kiunjuri met dozens of leaders from Kajiado East and some residents in readiness for party membership recruitment, promising to field candidates in all elective posts countrywide in 2022 general elections. He rallied locals to support Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential bid through the TSP party.

Former Kajiado gubernatorial aspirant and prominent businessman George King’ori said Jubilee party wrangles and the onslaught between Kieleweke and Tangatanga factions have left members vulnerable and dejected.

As reported by theSTAR

The Service Party Leader Mwangi Kiunjuri has blamed President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the heated political temperatures in the country.

Kiunjuri also blamed the three for the trading of insults being witnessed in the country adding that they started it all before their supporters followed suit.

Speaking on Friday during the burial of his sister in-law Anne Wairimu at Kamwanya in Mugunda Ward in Kieni constituency, he said on the President’s side, there are people who wake up every day as if they are on the payroll to insult the DP.

The same applies to those who are on the DP’s side who insult the President and have now gone to an extent of insulting former First Lady and President Kenyatta’s mother Mama Ngina Kenyatta.

He also said Raila kept mum when ODM legislators like Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga insulted leaders from Jubilee Party.

But he (Raila) is now lamenting that leaders should be respected, the ex-CS said.

President Kenyatta’s followers, he added, followed suit when people like Murathe hurled insults at the DP before the habit spilled to Ruto’s followers.

“The buck now stops with the three of you. If we shall have peace, if you want to unite Kenyans and if you want this nonsense to come to an end, then Raila, Kenyatta and Ruto must apologise to the nation because you started it all,” he said.

The Service Party of Kenya (TSP) leader said the three must respect Kenyans if they want to be respected by them.

But they should not turn to Kenyans accusing them of being indisciplined. The three should extend a handshake between them and give Kenyans direction, he said.

He called on the President and his deputy to unite the country as they pledged to do when they were first elected in office.

Kiunjuru said though both of them had given the promise; they have since abandoned the position of unity.

On the BBI, he said Kenyans will read the document and decide whether to reject or support it saying BBI was not the President nor his deputy’s idea “but that of Raila”.

“We did not elect you to come and change the Constitution,” he said, referring to Uhuru and Ruto.

The former CS said he did not see the need for the country to spend Sh 10 billion to do a referendum while farmers are suffering across the country.

Kiunjuri also faulted Raila and Ruto saying they have no interests of the Mt Kenya region at heart after they failed to lobby their senators to pass the third revenue-sharing formula.

He wondered why Mt Kenya should vote for them if they cannot help pass the formula.

The decried the division in the region saying it has turned it from being kingmaker to swing votes.

The region’s vote may end up being divided into two between Raila and Ruto, he said.

Also present were Nyeri Woman Representative Rahab Mukami and Laikipia Senator John Kinyua among other leaders.