Jubilee Deputy Secretary-General Caleb Kositany on Monday launched a full attack on his boss, Mr Raphael Tuju, demanding the financial records of the ruling Jubilee Party.
This is the latest episode in the now-public cold war s between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, in which Mr Kositany and Mr Tuju are all too happy to play the pawns in the battle for the heart and soul of the country’s largest political party.
In a letter to Mr Tuju copied to the Registrar of Political Parties Ms Anne Nderitu, Mr Kositany said he was acting on behalf of “more than 100 MPs and over 500 MCAs who are members of the party and who would like information pertaining to Jubilee's financial records from 2016 to date made public.”
“This demand is made pursuant to Article 35 (1) b of the Constitution of Kenya and that of the party,” says the letter.
Mr Kositany wants Mr Tuju to furnish him with the approved budgets for financial years 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, as well as all approved procurement records, reports and all committee minutes for the same period.
“I hasten to note that previous requisition of information from myself and/or other members of the party on other matters have been ignored intentionally or otherwise, by your office. May you not ignore this as well,” said Mr Kositany.
He also requested for certified bank statements for all Jubilee Party bank accounts and cash books for the same period.
The other documents he wants include internal audit reports, finance and audit committee minutes and reports for the same financial periods.
Mr Kositany also demanded records for all Jubilee Party county offices party for the same financial periods, including copies of lease agreements as well as the lease or tenancy agreements for the party’s headquarters in Nairobi since 2016.
Mr Kositany wants Mr Tuju to provide records of the party’s expenditure, including staff salaries and wages, monthly contributions by MPs and MCAs was well as donations, including one by the Communist Party of China.
Two weeks ago, the Soy MP accused top party officials of squandering funds, alleging that officials at the party’s headquarters were spending more than Sh7 million per month on tea and snacks.
“We want details of the bank statements. Any payments that have been made, to who and for what, should be tabled so that Kenyans can make an informed decision on how their funds are utilised,” the Soy MP said.
Mr Kositany said the DP’s supporters want the Auditor-General to audit Jubilee Party’s financial books, alleging massive fraud.
“Your letter “demanding” documentation from the office of secretary-general, where you are the deputy, and you proceed to give an ultimatum of seven days, is puzzling if not some rather desperate political posturing,” Mr Tuju wrote in response.
He questioned what he said was Mr Kositany’s constant use of the party stationery to contradict his position, citing letters the Soy MP wrote to the Kirinyaga, Nairobi and Kajiado assemblies asking them to disregard Mr Tuju’s communication on change of the regional Houses’ leadership.
“All these expose an extreme form of megalomaniacal behaviour. Unfortunately, in this office we do not have the qualifications nor capacity to deal with such malady,” said Mr Tuju, asking Mr Kositany to direct his queries to party treasurer Albert Mutai.
In a related development, MPs allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta have trained their political guns on Mr Kositany, demanding his removal.
Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu and his Cherang’any counterpart Joshua Kutuny yesterday told the Nation they want the Head of State to remove the Soy MP, whom they accused of going against the party’s ideologies.
Mr Kositany said the DP’s supporters want the Auditor-General to audit Jubilee Party’s financial books, alleging massive fraud.
“All of us contribute Sh10,000 every month and we want to know how these funds are being used. Raphael Tuju and the team should publish for us their records in the local dailies. As deputy SG, I know I should be getting some allowance but someone might be getting it on my behalf. We want to know how we’re paying rent of Sh5 million per month, and buying tea and snacks worth Sh7 million” Mr Kositany said.
But Mr Tuju dismissed his deputy’s demands, saying he should channel the queries to the Office of the Auditor General.
“We have been audited in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years. We are yet to do the 2019/20 because the financial year just ended. If Mr Kositany wants to see them, he should make the request to the office,” Mr Tuju said.
He said Mr Kositany was looking for attention, “and he is not going to get it from me”.
In a related development, MPs allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta have trained their political guns on Mr Kositany, demanding his removal. Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu and his Cherang'any counterpart Joshua Kutuny yesterday told the Nation they want the Head of State to remove the Soy MP, whom they accused of going against the party’s ideologies.
Mr gu had wondered why Mr Kositany was making the claims of graft in the party now when he has been the party's deputy secretary general since the inception arguing that the claims are meant to undermine the President who is the party leader.
"Kositany has been the deputy secretary general of our party since the inception, that means that the insincerity of what he is saying is clear because he is only making the allegations of the financial impropriety now," said Mr Wambugu.
He added: "He is therefore operating a very transparent agenda of the Tangatanga who are after engaging in a hostile take-over of the party and subordinate it to the 2022 ambitions of DP Ruto."
According to Mr Kutuny, the deputy secretary general should not be allowed to continue to serve and there is a need of the National Executive Council (NEC) to be convened to axe Mr Kositany for spearheading the agenda of another outfit.
He accused Mr Kositany of associating with Jubilee Asili which he said was meant to undermine their party leader noting that it is time for him to be kicked out.
"Kositany cannot continue to serve in his current position, he has to be kicked out because he is fighting the party, he has associated himself with Jubilee Asili," said Mr Kutuny.
But a defiant Mr Kositany promised to forge ahead, daring the Kieleweke team to go ahead with their threat to remove him from the party office.
"Those claiming that I should be removed from my current party position, they think the people of Soy sent me to Parliament to serve in those positions? I am ready to lose the deputy secretary general post," said Mr Kositany.
"We are no longer in the Kanu era where people were being removed from their positions because of questioning the government. Those who want me to be out should just explain to us how party funds are being used," he added.
The Soy MP questioned why Jubilee Party had no offices in Constituencies across the country when the law required so and women and youth at the grassroots level had to be supported.
"If in Uasin Gishu county which is the home turf of the deputy party leader of Jubilee Party has no party office, then how are these funds which we contribute monthly and other donations, spent?" posed Mr Kositany.
He maintained that he had raised serious issues which can only be responded to with facts and not threats of purging him for his position.
After the removal of Aden Duale as the Majority Leader in the National Assembly, Mr Kositany is the only DP's ally who still holds a higher position in Jubilee.
Others who have been axed include: Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Ben Washiali (Mumias East).
