A section of Deputy President William Ruto’s allies are plotting a takeover of the Jubilee Party as means to frustrate him in his 2022 presidential bid.
According to Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who came out strongly to hit out on the current party leadership, accusing them of stifling internal democracy by gagging members’ freedom of expression.
In his statement he said on social media he said, Government in any democracy is the product of a political process. Political parties are the fathers and mothers of governments. Key national agenda such as Big 4 ought to be buttressed by a strong political will. Big 4 is a very potent warhead with potential of transforming Kenya forever. But even the most lethal warhead requires a strong missile to deliver it. In the case of Big 4, a strong Jubilee Party is that missile. Yet we are the only major political party with no space for politicians. John Mbadi (ODM), Prof Kivutha Kibwana (Wiper) , Bonny Khalwale and Chris Wamalwa (Ford Kenya) are all party chairmen and active politicians. Time has come for Jubilee Party to open up space for political participation. Party elections are long overdue.
His statement brings to the fore the underlying suspicion in the ruling party that is obsessed with internal succession and the 2022 elections following the March 9 handshake between Nasa leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
However Moses Kuria statement brought a heated debate among his followers.
Here are some of their reactions
Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot, another ally of the DP, insisted that the Jubilee Party polls were long overdue.
In his statement he said, “The Jubilee Party should hold elections as soon as possible. We owe it to our party members.”
Jubilee insiders, however, have insisted that secretary general Raphael Tuju and outspoken vice chairman David Murathe have motives of ‘sabotaging’ the DP’s plan to succeed President Kenyatta.
The Jubilee Party never held elections to fill key positions after the merger of 11 affiliates less than a year before the 2017 election.
The officials were handpicked by Uhuru and Ruto to hold office on an interim basis following the merger of political parties in September 2016.
Apart from Tuju and Murathe, other interim officials include chairman Nelson Dzuya, deputy secretaries general Caleb Kositany and Fatuma Mohamoud, Alfred Korir (treasurer) and Abdul Hajji (organising secretary).
Grassroots elections, were to be held within 90 days after last year’s general election, which upto now have never taken place.