Led by former Kiambu MP Jude Njomo, the former lawmakers expressed their full support of a resolution by the party’s National Executive Council to initiate the process to decamp from Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.
The former MPs said they will throw their weight behind President Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza government for the benefit of “their people”.
“We are not defying any person but abiding by the resolution by the party’s top organ – the National Executive Council. We will now support Ruto and his government and we will not support any activity likely to disrupt peace and unity in the country,” said Mr Njomo.
The other former MPs include Maoka Maore (Igembe North), Gichuki Mugambi (Othaya), Jonah Mburu (Lari), Peter Kimari (Mathioya), Ruth Wangari (Kigumo), Kavinga Wachira (Mwea) and Gabriel Kago (Githunguri).
“We are also calling for an urgent meeting of the party aimed at revamping and strengthening it,” said Mr Mugambi.
The rift in the former ruling party is linked to the quest by President Ruto to push his predecessor out of active politics and the battle for the Political Parties Fund.
The brief to the Jubilee MPs backing President Ruto is to take over the running of the outfit before entering a post-election deal with Kenya Kwanza in a move that will render Mr Kenyatta partyless, the Nation has learnt.
The faction backing Dr Ruto is also said to be interested in taking control of the party’s Sh135 million share of the Political Parties Fund cash. The party has already received Sh68 million. The outfit is entitled to about Sh675 million in the next five years, assuming they will get the same amount in the next four financial years.
The “rebels”, who are mostly Jubilee elected members, are also said to be opposed to having their monthly subscriptions to the outfit controlled by non-elected leaders. Jubilee has 29 members in the National Assembly and five senators all paying Sh10,000 per month and a governor remitting Sh50,000 monthly.
Also seen as part of the wider scheme to force Mr Kenyatta to resign, the National Treasury has allocated former President Sh678.57 million for his pension and retirement perks, which he can only access after he ceases to hold any office in a political party.
Section 6(1) of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act states that a retired president shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as president. Kenya Kwanza lawmakers have since hinted at bringing a motion in the National Assembly to block him from accessing his pension for continuing with opposition politics.
“Their main intention is to take away the party from Uhuru Kenyatta. It has surprised them that Jubilee has been vocal in calling them out for lying to the voters that they would bring down the cost of living. People in Mt Kenya are already getting impatient with them,” says Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni. “Some of the individuals who purported to appoint themselves into office are also looking at the money. They are relying on reports that we have received a lot of money, which is not factual.”
East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega-led faction on Friday last week suspended Mr Kioni, vice-chairman David Murathe and National Treasurer Kagwe Gichohi . Mr Kega was installed as the new acting Secretary-General while Eldas MP Adan Keynan replaced Mr Murathe. Kitui South MP Rachel Nyamai was picked to replace Mr Gichohi during the National Executive Council meeting that was chaired by party chairman Nelson Dzuya.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu says the turmoil will force one faction to scout for a new party.
“The current confusion will definitely settle in a few days to come, and there will be winners and losers. The side that will lose will have to look for a new party,” he said.
The implication of a loss for the Mr Kega-led faction would be far-reaching as they would end up being expelled by the Mr Kioni-led faction. Although expelling a member is tedious, with many appeal channels, the lawmakers would find themselves distracted as they would find themselves spending more time battling court cases.
A loss for the Mr Kion-led team would force Mr Kenyatta to resign from the party since remaining as party leader would suggest his willingness to join Kenya Kwanza.
“I am not sure there has been a change of leadership yet; whether it was a coup attempt or an actual coup. So far what we have seen is jostling for space. One side is associated with Azimio, the other with UDA. Each wanting to own Jubilee. Not sure who will win, or whether Jubilee will just die in the process,” said Mr Wambugu.
History professor and political commentator Macharia Munene said it would be safer for Mr Kenyatta to resign than be caught in the power struggle.
If he succeeds in this latest onslaught, President Ruto would have almost all the Mount Kenyatta leaders in his fold, succeeding in isolating his predecessor in his own political backyard.
Leaders like Sabina Chege and Margaret Kamar were able to clinch the former ruling party’s nominations to Parliament due to the influence of Mr Kenyatta. Senate deputy minority leader Fauma Dullo also got the position because of the former Head of State, but now she is working with President Ruto’s side with some allies of Mr Odinga saying that she has to be de-whipped.
But most of them have come out to defend themselves saying that not participating in the Azimio protest meetings does not mean that they have gone against their party leader arguing that the former President has remained silent on what is going on.
One of Mr Kenyatta’s deputies, former Kajiado Senator Peter Mositet, said they have decided not to be part of Azimio protest rallies because the former Head of State has not given any direction on the matter. He also said their decision to remove Mr Kioni and Mr Murathe is not a betrayal to Mr Kenyatta since the two have failed to consult other members on the management of the party’s affairs.
“Who has seen our party leader chairing any Azimio meeting? He is busy leading peace initiatives in the region hence we could not just wait, we had to act immediately. Kioni and Murathe have not consulted any of us and there has been no meeting since the February 2022 National Delegates Convention and there was compliance which was expected from us by Registrar of Political Parties,” he said.
According to Mr Mositet, they are also going to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration and ensure that no one goes after Mr Kenyatta.
“There have been young MPs in Kenya Kwanza who have been attacking our party leader with all these debates on taxation, but we have not heard KRA (Kenya Revenue Authority) saying anything on the same. We will not allow anyone to go after our leader,” said Mr Mositet.
Nakuru MP Samuel Arama said: “How will protest rallies help my people? Those meetings are for political losers of the August General Election and not for those who were elected like myself. Our party leader has not talked to us about those rallies.”
Jubilee deputy Secretary-General Joshua Kutuny said the former ruling party has to work with the current regime for “political survival”.
“For us to survive, we have to listen to our elected leaders and come up with a collective decision not individual. Therefore, I think the SG should convene a meeting with elected leaders for us to reach a united decision. If we have to make a hard decision, so be it,” he said.
UDA chairman Johnson Muthama said the lawmakers have decided to work with the government for the sake of development because their constituents will hold them accountable come 2027, arguing that antagonising a sitting government locks many development projects.
“The MPs must look at why they were elected and now, the government is holding the key to development and that is Dr Ruto, there is no other government at the moment. Therefore, one would not want to stage a fight with the President because that would work against them,” he said.
National Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya said: “The President has no intention of taking away Azimio leaders, but as a good leader he has to get buy-in on his agenda from all leaders so that the country moves forward as one complete unit.”
