Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju has vowed to defend his seat in the forthcoming party elections scheduled for March, despite the current political storm.
Tuju declared that no amount of intimidation, fear or tribal politics will deter him from defending his post.
Tuju has been under pressure from Jubilee leaders allied to the Tangatanga wing of the party to give up the position. (Tangatanga and Kieleweke factions emerged in the party after the March 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.)
“Anybody seeking to challenge me in the post is welcome. We will compete on ideologies and not by might or any other interests... I am Kenyan and deserve equal chance to vie,” said Tuju.
Tuju said Kenyans should not to be obsessed with their tribes or cultures but should elect leaders based on their ability to perform their work.
Reasoned ideas
He wondered why some Jubilee leaders were thinking that the ideas they hold dear are reasoned or principled positions.
“I’m not pointing fingers at someone or saying that you’re wrong if you use the word tribe. I just want people to be aware of tribal interests so that they can make an informed choice,” he said.
He added: “How many of our leaders’ ideas are adopted and defended as part of our tribal identity?”
Since its formation in the run-up to the 2017 General Election, Jubilee party has been run by an interim office and has never held any elections.
Tuju told Jubilee leaders to “interrogate own ideas rigorously and to listen to other arguments, and to discard our bad ideas as we head into possible new coalitions”.
On the Building Bridges Initiative, Tuju said the report was part of a new journey to accomplish Kenya’s dreams since its independence, and asked Kenyans to support the recommendations.
