Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju has come out to affirm that Jubilee is still focused on fulfilling its agenda, in the midst of a storm that has brewed in the party in the past few weeks. Speaking to the press at the Jubilee offices in Nairobi, Tuju officially received former Jubilee Vice Chair David Murathe’s resignation and extended his gratitude to him, noting his efforts during the 2017 General Elections campaign. Murathe, was among the flames that stoked the heat in Jubilee after publicly taking a stand against Deputy President William Ruto’s intended candidature in 2022. He deserted his post after mounting pressure and didn’t shy away from declaring his intended plan to block DP Ruto from ascending to power. This However came months after persistent rumbling against the handshake in the party between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former premier Raila Odinga, with some leaders in the DP’s camp seeing it as a ploy to push aside the DP ahead of the 2022 elections.
Some leaders called on President Kenyatta to declare his support for DP Ruto for the top seat come 2022, but to no avail. The succession politics wasn’t the only issue that has rocked the party in recent weeks, with some Mt. Kenya leaders publicly faulting the leadership for failing to ensure there is sufficient development in Mt Kenya region, sentiments that were popped open first by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria. This prompted leaders to take sides, with some defending President Kenyatta’s track record in the region.
Brushing aside the controversies Tuju said the robust political discourse that has surrounded Jubilee is “part and parcel of politics anywhere in the world where people enjoy freedom of speech and expression.” He said as Jubilee, their mission is to embrace all Kenyans, and that they’re focused on delivering on the Big Four Agenda for every Kenyan, including those who voted for Jubilee and those who didn’t vote for Jubilee, “The President is and has no choice but be the President of the whole country,” he stated.
Earlier on Wednesday, leaders from the Mt. Kenya region led by Martha Karua and Peter Kenneth also chipped in with issues affecting the country’s top leadership and called for the office of the President and the President to be respected. “Individuals with divergent views must criticize or correct the President with decorum and respect..respect for the office,” said Peter Kenneth. Kenneth defended President Kenyatta’s track record, saying he has been committed to improving the lives of Kenyans, evident in the legacy projects captured in the Big Four Agenda, “These are the issues the country should be focused on and not pointless succession politics.”
On her part, Martha Karua noted that some politicians are sabotaging the Building Bridges initiative for their own political gain, terming it unpatriotic. She said that the President has said over and over that the country should focus on delivery of services not on succession politics, “We share this view and demand all leaders of good will adhere to the President’s directive on this issue. Elections are far away and the country has bigger problems to deal with outside elective politics,” she said.
