A number of Jubilee MPs have kept off a meeting organised by the Deputy President William Ruto’s allies.
The MPs, who are allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed the retreat as a partisan gathering which was not sanctioned by the ruling party, but a political sideshow meant to push a personal agenda.
The lawmakers opposed to the meeting include Sabina Chege (Murang’a), Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town), Maina Kamanda (nominated) and Kanini Kega (Kieni).
Also absent is National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale who is reportedly in the US.
Nominated MP David Sankok also skipped the meeting saying he was “busy with his personal business”.
According to Kega, the meeting was not sanctioned by the Jubilee party while adding that the President’s camp was closely monitoring those who will be attending it.
“We know it is a Tangatanga meeting. But they should know that we are watching who will be attending that meeting,” Kega said.
Keter, a fierce critic of the DP, said he had not received any invitation adding that the meeting was serving a selfish agenda that was not helping the country.
“Even if they were to invite me, I would not attend. These selfish agenda are not helping this country. If there is anything that we should do as MPs, let us do it in Parliament,” Keter was quoted by The Standard.
Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei, however, dismissed the claims that the meeting was a Tanga Tanga gathering and it termed it as a retreat of 200 like-minded MPs.
The group that is meeting in Naivasha is not tangatanga group, it’s just a group of 200 like-minded MPs ~ Gladys Boss. #AMLiveNTV @debarlinea pic.twitter.com/x96o6Ke25Q
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) January 27, 2020
The meeting comes a day after the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rally that was held in Mombasa, which some Ruto allies, including Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, attended.
“The meeting that kicks off this evening in Naivasha will come up with the official Jubilee position on the BBI scenarios to be presented to the Haji committee and also chart out a road-map for our 2022 electoral victory,” said ahead of the meeting on Sunday, January 26.