By Kabaraji Richard
A six-month feud pitting two camps at the giant Kenya National Chambers Of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Trans Nzoia branch seems to have come to an end. This is after the two warring parties reached a truce paving the way for elections.
The feud between the two camps – one under Titus Kilongi and the other led by Benson Malesi was fueled by the clause in the electoral laws of the organization. Malesi’s camp had secured a court injunction challenging the eligibility of Kilongi’s team leading to the halting of the May election.
The dispute over the voter register led to the postponement of the annual general meeting at Kitale Museum resulting in fracas by supporters of the two parties. Boda boda operators were also sucked into the chaos forcing anti-riot police officers to intervene to quell the situation.
It has taken the intervention of various parties leading Malesi to withdraw a court case while the KNCCI electoral body reached a gentleman’s agreement leading to the two groups merging and sharing slots to end the impasse.
“We thank the two parties for bringing back Trans Nzoia to the chambers map as it was the only missing county. The agreement paves the way for Kilongi to be the chair while Malesi takes up the director’s position in charge of finance thus ending the six-month standoff,” clarified Benjamin Okwoba from the KNCCI electoral body.
Interest of common businessperson
Kilongi is an astute businessman with an interest in education owning the Excel group of schools. He expressed his desire to change the way the business is being handled at the chambers adding that his leadership will be wound around the common businessman, unlike his predecessors.
“We are already late and need to kick start the improvement of working conditions for the business family as other 46 counties are ahead of us. My new team will not waste time on unnecessary squabbles but only respond to concerns affecting the local businessman or woman.”
On his part director Malesi noted that they were working on a regional approach to expand business and promote the growth of local business.
“Let’s hold hands and help the chambers achieve its mandate of growing our business so as to give us room for expansion of the local Mama Mboga’s business to the regional level.”
Speaking to the press after the truce, smallholder traders affirmed their hope in the new leadership. They asked them to negotiate with the county leadership to let them have access to multimillion markets built by the former regime as well as improve on amenities in markets across the county.
