MUNGATANA FOLLOWS KARUA OUT OF KIBAKI GOVERNMENT

DAILY NATION
NAIROBI, KENYA
By ANTHONY KARIUKI and CAROLINE WAFULA
April 7 2009

Mr Mungatana says he has decided to follow the lead of his party chairperson in leaving the coalition.

Assistant minister Danson Mungatana has announced his resignation from the Kenya Government.

In a double blow to the fragile Coalition Government, the Medical Services Assistant minister joins his party chairperson Martha Karua, who resigned on Monday, out of government.

Mr Mungatana has said he has decided to follow the lead of his party chair in leaving the coalition.

"If you see the leadership giving direction you have to follow suit and I had to do this as the second in command in the party, she has shown a firm position that the party should take.

"Many people are asking why we are leaving Government. It is a very small price to pay so that the country can have true change," Mr Mungatana told a news conference at his Afya House office, Nairobi.

Earlier, the Narc Kenya party said Ms Karua’s resignation was a culmination of roadblocks that stood on the road to reforms and expressed full support for her decision.

The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) held a meeting on Tuesday and resolved that members of the party who are in the Cabinet will make individual decisions on whether to stay in government or quit.

The party stated that Ms Karua’s resignation should open effective public debate on Agenda Four and government action on various issues among them continued tolerance to corruption, reforms in the judiciary, resettlement of IDPs, land reforms among others.

“We are joining in solidarity with the party chair and are asking reform oriented Kenyans to walk with us this reform path regardless of the outcome for there is always a price to pay,” said a statement from the NEC.

National Organising Secretary Danson Mungatana read the party’s resolutions.

Assistant ministers Robinson Githae and Asman Kamama, who are officials of the party announced that they would stay on and fight for reforms from within.