Jubilee dares Ruto allies to quit party after UDA leaders Karen meeting

Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, 2020. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Parliamentary caucus has dared over 100 MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto to resign from the ruling party.

The caucus has also asked the party leadership to write to the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu to strike off their names from the list of Jubilee members, which could see them lose their parliamentary seats.

In a statement yesterday, the caucus termed the Tanga tanga allied legislators saboteurs, saying it was time to “strengthen” Jubilee Party.

“The Deputy President admitted that he and his team have officially adopted UDA as their party of choice ahead of next year's elections. By that admission, they are deemed to have resigned from Jubilee Party. We are now asking the party leadership to write to the Registrar of Political Parties to strike off their names from the list of members,” read the statement in part.

“We now have an opportunity to strengthen Jubilee Party without the saboteurs. We say good riddance. Jubilee Party remains strong,” it added.

The sentiments came ours after Dr Ruto, convened a Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting of MPs linked to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) at his Karen residence and declared he will formally quit government. At the meeting, Ruto also admonished failures of the Jubilee government for the last four years, blaming it all on former NASA coalition partners and their “collaborators” in Jubilee.

But yesterday, Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju dismissed the numbers at the meeting, arguing that in the outcome of any election only 20 to 25 per cent of incumbents make a comeback.

"We are not bothered as a party. Our focus now is to strengthen party structures and embark on a roll out campaign to popularise our arty ahead of 2022 polls. We are also working so well with ODM," said Tuju.

Deputy President William Ruto admitted that he and his team have officially adopted UDA. [ Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The caucus refuted claims by Ruto that projects under the Big Four Agenda nosedived after he fell out with the President in 2018, saying that he (Ruto) sabotaged the projects all in pursuit of his 2022 ambitions.

“It is during the Jubilee's first term, when the DP controlled half of the Government, that mega graft scandals rocked the Government, including the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal, the Hustler Jet scandal, Weston Hotel land grab and the likes. It should concern Kenyans that as the DP sells his agenda, he remains mum on the action to tame graft,” read the statement.  

The caucus also accused the DP and his allies of double standards by propagating for the bottom-up economic model yet they were behind the plunder of resources.

“It is also paradoxical that the DP has a plan to revive the very economy he and his allies have mercilessly plundered. We wish to categorically remind the DP that no economy can thrive amid deep-rooted graft,” it stated. They were also agitated by the fact that the DP, during his address refused to address questions surrounding, not just the nature of his trip, but also his relationship with who was part of his entourage.

“This is not a matter to be taken lightly, and the DP must come out clearly to address the numerous secret trips. The DP also stands warned that he will be personally held accountable for any security threat within our borders, including on the President,” they noted.