Pushed into a corner and on the brink of being kicked out of the party he helped form in 2013, Deputy President William Ruto’s Jubilee faction has retreated to draw an elaborate fightback plan.
They aim to snuff the life out of the ruling party, take on and defeat President Kenyatta’s lieutenants and — if this does not work — burn down the house before jumping onto a safe boat.
From withholding their monthly dues to Jubilee to backing the dissolution of Parliament, forcing grassroots elections and mooting an alternative coalition for the Ruto 2022 presidential race, the Tangatanga wing of Jubilee is not taking the threat against Kenya’s second-in-command lying down.
The DP himself was on Saturday beating the political war drums and cautioning his opponents in the ruling party to brace themselves for a bruising battle.
“I’ve heard some people saying they don’t want hustlers at the Jubilee headquarters. It’s okay, but the conversation on the economic empowerment of the poor will not stop. The country is experiencing labour pains. We are in the process of delivering a new conversation in Kenya,” the DP said in Nakuru.
In a clear illustration of their growing boldness, the Ruto troops have vowed to resist any attempts by President’s Kenyatta’s Kieleweke wing to wrest control of the party from the DP and force his eventual exit.
Multiple interviews with the DP’s allies and insiders in his camp yesterday revealed that their plan is to first starve the Secretariat of cash by stopping their monthly contributions.
Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono and Bomet Senator Christopher Langat, the DP’s staunch allies, vowed to visit the party headquarters and, if stopped, withhold their contributions.
“In case they block us, it means they have voluntarily decided to chase away their members from the party and since they have instruments of powers, we will stop our contributions or reduce it from Sh10, 000 to Sh100,” said Mr Rono.
Mr Ruto has shares in Jubilee and a “junior officer” (Secretary-General Raphael Tuju) cannot purport to bar him from office.
Aldai MP Cornelius Serem said it was evident they were no longer needed in Jubilee hence no one should ask them for money. “If someone does not want you in his house, what do you do? You stop contributing and that is our next move, no money,” said Mr Serem. But the move is unlikely to negatively impact the ruling party’s financial health since it is highly funded by taxpayers.
For the last three months to September, records from the Political Parties Fund show Jubilee and the Orange Democratic Party (ODM) got Sh236.3 million.
Jubilee will get the lion’s share after acting Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu allocated it Sh161.1 million, with ODM getting Sh75.2 million. The DP is also said to be eyeing the possibility of getting out of Jubilee “with a bang” to ride on a merger of 45 small parties that his allies have reportedly been registering in support of his 2022 quest.
Ruto allies have vowed not leave the ruling party intact, with Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa saying in Mombasa that any attempt to eject the DP will result in Jubilee’s death.
“The ‘hustler’ nation has formed more than 45 political parties, which they are willing to merge into one party so that William Ruto can realise the dream of occupying the house on the hill,” Mr Barasa said at a press conference in Mombasa on Saturday. “We will leave this party and will never ever leave any evidence of its existence. We’ll destroy it completely.”
Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, a vocal member of his Tangatanga team, demanded respect for the DP Ruto from Jubilee Vice-Chairman David Murathe and Secretary-General Raphael Tuju.
Mr Murathe, however, said the party’s constitution is clear on the penalties against renegade members who do not toe the party line. Mr Tuju said the party will no longer entertain members who use vulgar and abusive language against the President.
