Communist Party of Kenya: Difference between revisions

| founder = [[Johnstone Makau]]

The '''Communist Party of Kenya (CPK)''', ([[Swahili language|Swahili]]: ''Chama cha Kikomunisti cha Kenya)''<ref name="aboutCPK">{{cite web |last=Committee |first=Central |title=About the Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) |url=https://www.communistpartyofkenya.org/about-cpk/ |access-date= |website=www.communistpartyofkenya.org/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=March 8, 2019 |title=Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) |url=https://www.communistpartyofkenya.org/87-recent-news/178-ujumbe-wa-chama-cha-kikomunisti-cha-kenya-cpk-siku-kuu-ya-wanawake,-machi-8-2019-usawa-wa-kijinsia-ni-kigenzo-cha-kiwango-cha-uhuru-wa-jamii |url-status=live |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=www.communistpartyofkenya.org |language=sw}}</ref> formerly known as the '''Social Democratic Party (SDP'''), is a prominent political organisation in [[Kenya]]. Founded in 1992, the political party has undergone substantial transformations in its name, [[Political Ideology|ideological orientation]] from [[social democracy]] to [[communism]] and political positioning. Throughout its history, the Communist Party of Kenya has faced distinct challenges and played a notable role in [[Kenya|Kenya's]] political evolution.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Republic of Kenya |first=Embassy in Japan |title=The Government and the Political System |url=https://www.kenyarep-jp.com/en/kenya/government/ |website=Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Japan}}</ref>

The youth league also took the matter to the Political Parties Tribunal, citing Mwandawiro's illegitimacy as chairman.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ogemba |first=Paul |date=2022 |title=Communist Party members sue ex-chairman as takeover fight intensifies |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/politics/article/2001469142/communist-party-members-sue-ex-chairman-as-takeover-fight-intensifies |work=Standard Media}}</ref> Mwandawiro's chairmanship was in question since he was a government employee in the County Government of Taita Taveta at the time of taking the party to join the Kenya Kwanza Coalition. The youth presented that he could not be the chairman as it was contrary to the Constitution of Kenya, which forbids state officials from holding political office.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kenya |first=Constitution of |title=77. Restriction on activities of State officers |url=https://www.klrc.go.ke/index.php/constitution-of-kenya/119-chapter-six-leadership-and-integrity/244-77-restriction-on-activities-of-state-officers |website=Kenya Law Reform Commission}}</ref> The Youth League wanted the Tribunal to nullify his position, which would then nulifyhisnullify his authority to sign up the party into the Kenya Kwanza Coalition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maritim |first=Evans |date=April 12, 2022 |title=List of new parties that have joined Kenya Kwanza |url=https://www.pd.co.ke/inside-politics/list-of-new-parties-that-have-joined-kenya-kwanza-123013/ |work=People Daily}}</ref> The matter, which remains unresolved, resulted in the effective splintering of the party.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gitonga |first=Nancy |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Reprieve for Booker Ngesa Omole as tribunal suspends his ouster as CPK secretary |url=https://www.pd.co.ke/inside-politics/tribunal-suspends-booker-ngesa-omole-ouster-185082/ |work=The People Daily}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Almasi |first=Tito |date=February 24, 2023 |title=IN MAY 2022, MWANDAWIRO MGHANGA SOLD HIS COMMUNIST SOUL TO THE GODS OF CAPITALISM |url=https://kwaela.co.ke/in-may-2022-mwandawiro-mghanga-sold-his-communist-soul-to-the-gods-of-capitalism/ |website=Kwaela}}</ref>

Majority Faction: Acknowledging the split as against party policy going into the 2022 elections and citing the ex-chairman's alleged illegitimacy of Mghanga, the central committee reconstituted in September 2022, electing new leaders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CPK |date=September 12, 2022 |title=NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC. |url=https://communistpartyofkenya.org/documents/CC%20Members%20Sept%202022-1.pdf |website=The Communist Party of Kenya}}</ref> The majority reconstituted, and Kinuthia Ndung’u was elected as the national chairman; Booker Ngesa was reinstedreinstated as the national vice chairman<ref name=":5" /> and organising secretary; and Sefu Sani as the Secretary GeseralGeneral.

Mggenga Faction: The Kenya Kwanza-aligned members led by Mghanga and Wachira were declared the minority faction by the majority faction. The faction, unable to take control of the Party instruments, created its own [https://cpk.ke/ website] and constituted its own party leadership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Central Committee - Communist Party of Kenya |url=https://cpk.ke/cpk-central-committee/ |website=Communist Party of Kenya}}</ref>

=== Party propaganda and publications ===