DP William Ruto woos Coast residents to the newly formed Jubilee Party

Deputy President William Ruto accompanied by MPs Mustafa Idi and Gideon Mung’aro arrive at Pwani University where he addressed a leaders meeting in Kilifi County on Saturday

KILIFI: Deputy President William Ruto has urged Coast residents to join the newly formed Jubilee Party (JP) which he said will win the 2017 General Election.

Ruto told opinion leaders at Pwani University in Kilifi County yesterday that a political party is only important as a tool to form a government after elections. The DP camped in Kilifi as part of Jubilee’s plot to wrestle the Malindi Town seat which ODM lost when former MP Dan Kazungu was appointed to Cabinet last month.

He said JP was formed to accommodate people across Kenya unable to join the ruling coalition through The National Alliance and United Republican Party.

Ruto was accompanied by Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro, a rebel ODM MP who also chairs the Coast Parliamentary Group. Mr Mung’aro has declared that he will contest the Kilifi gubernatorial post in next year’s elections.

The MP dismissed claims that he is being used by the Jubilee administration to wreck the opposition. “Some people have been going round saying I was bought by the Jubilee administration and that is not true but I resolved to work with the government to bring development to my people,” he said.

National Assembly Majority Leader Adan Duale urged Coast leaders and the electorate to join JP, saying the Jubilee administration has transformed North Eastern.

“I was in ODM and when I saw things were not working well I decided to ditch it and worked with President Kenyatta and his deputy until we won the last General Election and formed the government of the day,” said Mr Duale.

Kaloleni MP Gunga Mwinga said Coast leaders and the people have agreed to join JP but will form their political party. MPs Peter Shehe (Ganze), Harrison Kombe (Magarini), William Kamoti (Rabai), Mustatffa Idd (Kilifi South), Kilifi
nominated Senator Mvita Mshenge and Khatib Mwashetana (Lunga lunga) were present.

“As the two principals of the Jubilee government we decided to break Jubilee coalition, which was basically formed by TNA and URP to create room for other political parties and give it a national face,” said Ruto.

He urged Coast residents to abandon ODM and CORD as they have failed to win elections and form the government.

“A political party is a tool to fight and win a General Election and later form a government and if ODM and CORD have failed to achieve that then it is useless to continue supporting them. Join a party is prepared to form the next government,” said Ruto.

The DP announced that JP was advocating for national unity.