Jubilee Ruto ouster plans unclear as NDC postponed

Deputy President William Ruto addresses press at his home in Karen, Nairobi after chairing a meeting with Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC). [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Plans to have Deputy President William Ruto kicked out of the ruling Jubilee Party were yesterday thrown into disarray following revelations that it conflicted with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s diary.

The much-publicised Jubilee Party National Delegates Congress (NDC) had been scheduled for November 30 and plans were already underway and a list of delegates drawn.

However, on the same day, President Kenyatta is expected to deliver this year’s State of the Nation Address, the second last in his final term. 

Yesterday, the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi confirmed to The Standard that he and his Senate counterpart had received communication from the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua asking parliament to make necessary plans for the address.

“The communication from Kinyua was to inform us as both Speakers that the President will be fulfilling his constitutional requirement as enshrined on article 132 and had sought to have us make arrangement for the same,” said Muturi.

Sources indicate that those pushing for the NDC are the young MPs pushing for the purging of Ruto from the party leadership.

They are also seeking to have Jubilee Vice-chair David Murathe and Secretary-General Raphael Tuju also dethroned from the party positions.

The source who sort anonymity told The Standard that the plans were done without the blessings of the party leader who has since dismissed the team’s move.

However, yesterday the group led by Nyeri Town MP Wambugu Ngunjiri insisted that the NDC will be a few days later after the President’s State of the Nation address.

Ngunjiri said The NDC had been moved to a yet to be confirmed date in December.

“This will ensure whatever decisions are taken at NDC don’t affect the smooth running of Bunge during these last couple of days as there are crucial matters being dealt with this season,” said Ngunjiri. 

Ruto has already indicated that he has moved to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and did not mind being kicked out of the party.

Even after Ruto’s exit from the party, some party members want the current leadership ousted while the other allied to the party leader is comfortable with the status quo. 

The group led by Murathe, Tuju, and party chair Nelson Nzuya enjoy the blessings of the president and have been quietly following the group led by Ngunjiri and Kieni MP Kanini Kega in their political gymnastics.