Nelson Dzuya: Uhuru Kenyatta has failed Jubilee Party
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
What you need to know:
- In a terse statement following Mr Kenyatta’s visit to the party headquarters on Wednesday, Mr Dzuya said it is unacceptable that under his leadership, Jubilee Party continues to be treated as a junior partner in the Azimio coalition.
Jubilee’s national chairman Nelson Dzuya Thursday accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta, the party’s leader, of failing to provide it with leadership.
In a terse statement following Mr Kenyatta’s visit to the party headquarters on Wednesday, Mr Dzuya said it is unacceptable that under his leadership, Jubilee Party continues to be treated as a junior partner in the Azimio coalition.
“He has never called or chaired any organ of the Jubilee Party since the National Delegates Convention (NDC) held on 26th February, 2022. It was therefore horrifying to see him emerge for the first time since that NDC in the manner in which he did yesterday,” he wrote.
Mr Dzuya noted that the government has publicly pronounced that Mr Kenyatta is now enjoying retirement benefits in accordance with the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act. Section 6(1), which he said provides “that a retired president shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as president.”
“By operation of the law therefore, it can be argued that he is no longer legally the party leader of Jubilee Party. That said, this is probably a matter that ought to be considered by the relevant party organs and a decision made for the benefit of the members of our party,” he said.
The politician further faulted Mr Kenyatta, arguing that under his leadership as the chairperson of the Azimio Coalition Council, he has overseen a systematic Jubilee Party emasculation agenda from within the coalition.
He cited the appropriation of the Jubilee Party's membership position in the Parliamentary Service Commission by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and the convening of the Azimio Coalition Parliamentary Group (PG) meetings by ODM and the Wiper Democratic Movement (Wiper) to the exclusion of Jubilee MPs.
Mr Dzuya also cited the removal of Senator Fatuma Dullo as the Senate minority whip at a PG meeting to which Jubilee Party members were not invited as well.
He further noted the removal of Margaret Kamar from committee membership at the Senate and her replacement with a member of Wiper, as well as the purported removal of Sabina Chege from her position of deputy minority whip, a matter awaiting the Speaker’s ruling.
The politician also mentioned the marginalisation of Jubilee Party in the appointment of key committees and failure to name any Jubilee member into the bipartisan team negotiating with the Kenya Kwanza party, following anti-government protests by Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
