The Mount Kenya region is increasingly becoming more divided than united as a section of Jubilee Party Member of Parliament (MPs) have called for a complete overhaul of the party leadership ahead of the 2022 general elections.
Speaking after a meeting, Central Kenya Jubilee Caucus proposed and resolved to make a raft of changes in the leadership with an aim of bringing on board more youthful and vibrant leaders as well as persuasive individuals who will spearhead vigorous grassroots campaigns.
The lawmakers said they will start the purge at the grassroots where they will replace ineffective leaders before escalating it to the national office.
“We will be evaluating party officials and if we feel that the moment you open your mouth, the party loses popularity, we will deal with you. We only postponed whatever we started,” Kieni MP Kanini Kega said.
Kiambu MP Jude Njomo said they had agreed to clean the grassroots party leadership by replacing those that have betrayed the course and abandoned the ship, with those who are loyal to the party before dealing with the national officials.
Following the Kiambaa by-election, the party said that they took time to engage with their party members and supporters at the grassroots soughting to understand their views and sentiments about the direction of the party.
“We wish to affirm our support for the President’s effort to unite the country by bringing different leaders together. Our roles as party members of the President’s Jubilee Party is to rejuvenate the party and ensure that he has a strong and disciplined political party supporting him,” said the caucus.
The party resolved to undertake grassroot mobilisation exercise that will target areas in Central Kenya including Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nakuru, Laikipia, Kiambu, and Nyandarua counties.
The exercise will see the party open seven new offices in the Mt Kenya region.
The Central Kenya Jubilee caucus further gave grassroots coordinators strict instructions to ensure that the party energy is reflected in the seven selected counties.
The leaders included Sabina Chege (Murang’a Woman Rep), Ruth Mwaniki (Kangema), Mary wa Wamaua (Maragwa), Gichuki Mugambi (Othaya), Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town), Simon King’ara (Ruiru) and Kabinga Wavayo (Mwea).
This comes after the party’s National Management Committee and Parliamentary leadership approved a pre-election coalition agreement with the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
In a astatement, the party said the decision sprang from an already existing good collaboration between the ruling party and ODM leader Raila Odinga on matters of National interest.
The NMC met the Parliamentary leadership for consultations, after which it granted permission to the party secretariat to engage ODM.
“It is noteworthy that in the last four years, while ODM has carried its mandate as
official minority Party in both the Senate and the National Assembly, it has remained a reliable ally to Jubilee Party in the passage of all critical bills that are important for the good governance of our country,” read part of the statement.
