Jubilee puts Kihika, Ngunjiri on notice

Nakuru County Jubilee Chairman David Manyara flanked by other branch officials after a meeting at the county party headquarters on July 7, 2020. The party officials have placed on notice leaders elected through the party who have been disrespecting the President and the Party regulations. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard].

Jubilee Party has placed Nakuru leaders who have been defiant of the party and its leadership on notice.

This follows continued attacks on the President by those allied to Deputy President William Ruto and Members of County Assembly (MCAs) who recently threatened to impeach Governor Lee Kinyanjui.

The Party's Nakuru branch Secretariat led by Chairperson David Manyara singled out Senator Susan Kihika and Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri as persons of interest.

"This is the first meeting since the current pandemic hit us. We have discussed at length the conduct of Mr Ngunjiri and Ms Kihika who have been negating the party principles," said Manyara.

In their most recent attacks, Ms Kihika and Mr Ngunjiri took a swipe at President Uhuru Kenyatta over police killings and changes in leadership roles in parliament while attending a funeral in Nandi County.

Ngunjiri also took issue with the March 2018 handshake between the two leaders.

Manyara warned that the party will no longer take their indiscipline lightly saying that they will soon face disciplinary action if they don't reform.

"Any further indiscipline and disrespect to the President shall not go unpunished. As party official we shall ensure our regulations are followed to the latter," said Manyara.

Last month, Jubilee Party members in Nakuru called on the regional party leadership to discipline the Mr Ngunjiri for his continued onslaught against their leader.

Manyara said Ngunjiri’s position was not shared with the supporters and that time was ripe for his punishment.

“Mr Ngunjiri has in the past two years been criticising the president over the development and management of the party. We have been watching him abuse the president. But now enough is enough. He must leave Jubilee or be forced out to seek a fresh mandate from the people,” Manyara said.

The former Nakuru Town MP said the party branch had written to the Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju to start a disciplinary process against the MP.

“The MP must apologise to the President while the Jubilee party organs must crack the whip,” he said.

Ngunjiri, an ally of Deputy President William Ruto has given President Kenyatta a headache in the past two years.

The firebrand politician has been exchanging political blows in the public with the president.

Additional reporting by Steve Mkawale