Push and shove expected as Jubilee announces delegates conference date

Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju at Jubilee headquarters in Nairobi on September 6, 2021. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Jubilee party has announced that it will hold the National Delegates Conference on November 30.

In a statement, secretary-general Raphael Tuju said the NDC will be held at Kasarani, Nairobi.

This comes as Jubilee Party announced plans to revamp ahead of the 2022 General Election.

The party is holding the NDC to restructure its leadership and membership.

“We are in the process of a major, carefully planned, and unprecedented revamp that will send a message to our detractors,” the Jubilee Parliamentary Caucus said on November 4.

In a statement, Jubilee took a swipe at Deputy President William Ruto and his allies, who they claim have already defected to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

There are also reports that the party plans to convene the NDC to officially kick out Deputy President William Ruto.

The party is seeking to revoke Ruto’s membership and consequently throw him out as the deputy party leader.

Others targeted in the escalating war between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy are more than 100 elected leaders associated with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

The Standard has established that the president plans to use the NDC to seek for ratification to enter into a coalition with Raila Odinga-led ODM.

Uhuru’s and Raila’s teams have since drafted an agreement to field a joint presidential candidate in next year’s General Election. The deal will be subject of approval by the NDC.

Tuju yesterday said the discussions have been escalated to the president and ODM leader.

“Our discussions with ODM are ongoing. There are discussions that have been done at our level and there are discussions that are being done at the level of the party leaders,” he said.

Kieni MP Kanini Kega, who attended the meeting, said the NDC will drop big names from its membership register, including that of the DP.

According to a draft framework agreement exclusively seen by The Sunday Standard, Jubilee and ODM are seeking to field a joint presidential candidate in next year’s General Election.

The two parties will also field joint candidates for all 1,450 wards and 416 parliamentary seats.

They will also engage in negotiations that will determine how the proposed coalition is going to share seats if and when it clinches power.

This includes the sharing of leadership and committee positions in the legislative houses at both national and county levels.