Jubilee Party to form new alliance, Murathe says

Jubilee Vice Chairman David Murathe at Jubilee Headquarters in Nairobi. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Jubilee vice chair David Murathe has hinted that the party will form a new political alliance ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Murathe said United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party associated with Deputy President William Ruto was not an affiliate of Jubilee, and asked those allied to the new outfit to “quietly exit” the ruling party.

“You cannot be shooting from both sides of your mouth. You cannot be supporting another political formation called UDA and at the same time you still want to hang in there as a Jubilee member,” he said.

Leaders allied to Dr Ruto have in the past maintained that UDA re-branded from the Party of Development and Reform (PDR), which is currently in a coalition with Jubilee.

The fallout between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the DP, is slowly shredding the last threads that are holding Jubilee which is now on the verge of collapse.

Murathe, however, affirmed that the party is growing stronger despite the recent hiccups and accused Ruto allies of scheming to dismantle the outfit.

“It’s like these guys want to go down with the full temple and kill everybody inside the Jubilee house, they want to deconstruct the party and move with the parts they contributed in building the party,” he said.

He was speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, where he said the party “will have grassroots alliances and coalesce with like-minded formations.

Murathe said the new alliance would only include those who are willing to work together.

“The formation of political parties is not in a mass. The party will only consist of committed and dedicated persons,” he said.

But Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen said he does not understand why there is a rift in Jubilee or why the wrangles have seen several leaders allied to Ruto punished.

He maintained that neither the DP nor his allies had disrespected the president.

“The president is not in contest with his deputy. Ruto has chosen to remain respectful and obedient to his boss, while focusing on providing alternative policies for post-Uhuru regime, carrying forward what he started with him,” he said.