Uhuru men accuse Ruto of bid to stage party coup

For the third time in less than two weeks, Deputy President William Ruto on Thursday stormed Jubilee headquarters, held a boardroom meeting without notice and exposed his growing boldness to take over the party ahead of the 2022 elections.  

The meeting with more than 20 MPs and senators allied to his Tangatanga faction of the ruling party, caught officials by surprise — with some, including Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, electing to keep off their offices in Pangani, Nairobi.

The timing of the Jubilee deputy party leader’s visit when his boss — President Uhuru Kenyatta — is out of the country drew concerns from the president’s men, who accused him of attempting a ‘coup’ in the ruling party.

The Head of State is in France for a three-day State visit at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron.

Clandestine meetings

“The deputy party leader has simply gone wild and does not understand his role. As the Deputy President, he ought to assist the President when he is out of the country, but he is instead holding clandestine meetings at the party headquarters,” said Jubilee vice-chairman David Murathe.

He claimed that by choosing to “storm” the party offices when President Kenyatta is away in France, “the DP is showing the world that he is actually capable of overthrowing the government.”

But Dr Ruto sought to downplay the implications of his meetings at the party headquarters, saying it is not news. “These are interesting times indeed! That working from Jubilee HQs where am (sic) the duly elected deputy party leader is considered news. Our focus is on efforts that are complementary to achieving our shared aspirations while ensuring that no one is left behind for whatever reason,” he tweeted.

Dr Ruto’s visit to the Pangani office with 23 legislators in his camp barely three days after he gave a presidential event on Covid-19 a wide berth, indicated the DP’s resolve to face off with his perceived friends-turned-adversaries and marked his determination for a fresh Jubilee takeover.

Boardroom dealings

In his own words, Jubilee Deputy Secretary-General Caleb Kositany, the de facto spokesman of Dr Ruto, said “we can no longer entertain boardroom dealings” to determine the fate of the ruling party.

Dr Ruto and his allies, sources who attended the meeting said, discussed the future of the party, including impending by-elections and grassroots elections.

“This is the time we must organise the party elections, ODM is going about putting its house in place, with Raila Odinga saying he is not yet done vying for presidency, therefore, as Jubilee, we are not going to allow anyone to tell us that we will support our opponents for the presidential seat,” said Mr Kositany.

The party organs are said to be carefully analysing the ultimate goal of the continued trips to the headquarters three months after Dr Ruto inaugurated Jubilee Asili Centre which his allies regarded as their “new home following the takeover of Jubilee headquarters by brokers.”

Former National Assembly Majority Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali said they were bonafide members of Jubilee Party and “I’m not aware of the Jubilee Asili Centre”.

“These offices here belong to us,” he said at the Pangani office.

The Nation gathered that after the party organs complete analysis of the DP’s trips to the Pangani office, they may issue a directive to bar him from visiting.

“There’s no office for the deputy party leader. What we have are offices for the party leader and secretary-general, which were locked,” Mr Murathe said.

“There was no official to receive him except the security guards, but they were given tea,” he added.

It also turned out that on receiving news of the DP’s visit, Kieleweke MPs allied to Mr Kenyatta’s side quickly gathered at Serena Hotel with the intention of invading the party offices in what would have degenerated into a confrontation.

The Nation established that senior officials of the party, including security apparatus, prevailed on them to call it off.

Selling chicken

“Doing so would have meant giving DP the attention he’s yearning for. We asked our people not to do that,” Mr Murathe added.

On Wednesday, the DP had given notice to his perceived adversaries in the Jubilee administration. “We will continue what we are doing, wata-do (what will they do)? They will have to submit. Respect is two ways. You respect to be respected. I am a DP now, but I rose from selling chicken,” the DP said at his Karen residence.

After the meeting, the Tangatanga legislators emerged and addressed the press, refusing to take questions from journalists.

Dr Ruto and Mr Kositany, however, did not attend the presser, delegating it to Meru Senator Mithika Linturi and Kandara MP Alice Wahome.

Mr Linturi rubbished claims that the DP had staged a coup at the Jubilee facility, terming it sensational “as he is within his rights as the deputy leader to attend and hold meetings at the party headquarters.”

“The discussions therefore had legitimacy and we deliberated on matters governance of the country and the impending party elections,” Mr Linturi said.

Ms Wahome said they were at the Jubilee House “by our own rights.”

Additional reporting by Justus Wanga and Onyango K’Onyango