Jubilee rebel MPs threaten to eject Uhuru as party leader or work with Ruto
A faction of Jubilee Party members who have pledged their allegiance to President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration have given their party leader former President Uhuru Kenyatta an ultimatum to either work with the President or risk an ouster from the party.
The new Jubilee party leaders have initiated plans to withdraw from the Raila led Azimio One Kenya coalition where Kenyatta has publicly portrayed his loyalty to.
The leaders have however agreed to give Kenyatta time to negotiate the way forward regarding the planned exit from the opposition.
“We have come up with a six-month roadmap, which will define where we are heading to. We are going to appoint a dispute resolution committee to look into our exit from Azimio and that will take us around 90 days,” Jubilee Party Secretary General said.
“Within the same period, we hope that our party leader will reach out so that we explain to him why we want to exit. We have been frustrated because our members have been denied some positions in Parliament and that is what has engineered all this,” he added.
The Azimio coalition agreement on withdrawal of parties states that “Any party may withdraw from this coalition agreement upon giving 90 days’ notice to the coalition council of its intention to withdraw from the coalition party.”
It also states that “No party may withdraw from the coalition six months before the August 2022 General Election or within three months after the date of the said General Election.”
According to the Presidential Retirement Benefit Act, “A retired President shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as President”, which means that Kenyatta has until March 13 to hold seat as the party’s leader.
The looming coup in Jubilee comes after 30 party members visited President Ruto at State House and pledged to work with the government to advance its development agenda.
Later during a meeting, the party’s top organ, the National Executive Council (NEC) suspended vice chair David Murathe, secretary general Jeremiah Kioni and National treasurer Kagwe Gichohi.
The three were suspended for leaning to the opposition party.
The trio were replaced by Eldas Constituency Member of Parliament Adan Keynan as the new vice chair, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament Kanini Kega as Secretary General and Kitui South Member of Parliament Rachel Nyamai as National treasurer.
However, the Political Parties Tribunal barred the Registrar of Political Parties from effecting changes in the party pending the hearing and determination of a matter filed by a faction of its party members.
