Jubille wrangles: Ruto allies threaten to withdraw financial support

Just a day after Jubilee Party secretary-general Raphael Tuju banned Deputy President William Ruto from accessing the party’s headquarters, Uasin Gishu County Speaker David Kiplagat has told elected allied to Ruto to stop monthly subscription fees to the party.

Mr Kiplagat said the party does not deserve financial support from DP Ruto allies after the statement from Tuju.

Kiplagat who was accompanied by elders from Uasin Gishu blamed the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga on the fallout in Jubilee.

“We shall cease payment of subscription fee to Jubilee until the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) discusses and makes a determination on the purported suspension of the DP,” Kiplagat said.

He added: “When did it become a crime for Jubilee elected leaders to visit the headquarters of a party where they pay subscription fees every month? There are many parties in Kenya and we are ready to move out of Jubilee any time.”

Kiplagat said the move to suspend Ruto was aimed at intimidating him ahead of the 2022 elections.

“We are asking the President to dissolve Parliament and we go to the election so that we see how many leaders will be re-elected on Jubilee party,” he added.

Uasin Gishu elder and cleric Paul Gathuo warned the troubles in Jubilee is a recipe for disunity in the Rift Valley, which bore the brunt of post-election violence in 2007-2008.

“As residents of the North Rift region, we will not allow the Jubilee politics to destroy the peace we have enjoyed for many years,” Gathuo said.

David Karanja, a former councillor, told top Jubilee officials led by Tuju to respect the Deputy Party leader to regain confidence from disgruntled members and elected leader.

The party's National Management Committee on Friday recommended to the NEC to remove Ruto as deputy party leader for, among other reasons, opening a rival party office (Jubilee Asili) until such a time the development is discussed at the NEC.

Tuju said the painful decision was taken after Ruto had, on numerous occasions, gone against the party's principles.

“That the NMC has recommended to the NEC that the DP ceases to be Deputy Party Leader after he opened the so-called Jubilee Asili offices that is reserved for him and his allies until such a time that this development of Jubilee Asili is discussed at the NEC,” Tuju said.

Tuju also said Ruto had been banned from transacting any business at the party headquarters on behalf of the party and on behalf of his faction.