A statement by a top official of the ruling Jubilee Party that there was no deal to help Deputy President William Ruto succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022 has sparked a storm.
In April 2018, a close ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed deep divisions in the Jubilee Party even as officials kept a brave face.
Jubilee Vice Chairman and long-time ally to the President David Murathe confirmed that the party was concerned by the behaviour of a section of MPs, both from Mt Kenya and in the Rift Valley region.
Questioned on why Kenyatta has not been supporting Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid, Murathe explained that the head of state had on several occasions promised to support the DP when the 2022 election comes.
He added that it was unreasonable to expect the President to wake up every morning of the next four years campaigning for his deputy.
“The President has, not once or twice, promised to support the Deputy President in 2022. You don’t expect that he will be waking up every morning to pledge loyalty to the DP,” Murathe stated in an interview with KTN.
The Jubilee Vice Chairman added that President Kenyatta was focused on delivering his campaign manifesto through the Big Four agenda.
“We don’t have time to campaign barely six months after the October repeat election…when you go to an area and all you speak about is 2022, it is upsetting some of us because it will distract the President from achieving his Big Four agenda,” he said.
The remarks by Murathe, who is reported to be a personal friend to Uhuru and his younger brother Muhoho Kenyatta, has raised more fears of a split in the governing coalition.
Mr Murathe has recently said Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto had already led the government for two terms and should both retire after serving as President and Deputy President respectively.
Leaders, among them ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mr Eugene Wamalwa and Cotu boss Francis Atwoli and hundreds of locals attended the annual event that is usually celebrated on December 26.
“If he (William Ruto) has an MoU with Uhuru Kenyatta, then that was an agreement between two individuals,” said Mr Murathe.