Jubilee woes continued to deepen at the weekend amid calls by Deputy President William Ruto’s side for a snap election as a cure to the endless debacles.
Soy MP Caleb Kositany, a fierce defender of the DP, said the election would be the only way out as you cannot divorce the structure creating the post of party leader and deputy party leader.
He said the current government is dysfunctional and dared the President Uhuru Kenyatta’s side to make the call if they are fed up with the DP.
“The Jubilee Constitution says the party leader shall be the president and the deputy party leader shall be the DP. You cannot divorce the two.”
“The best way if they are fed up with the marriage is for the President to call for a snap election. Let us go for general elections and elect a new government because this one is dysfunctional,” Kositany told the Star on Saturday.
He spoke following pronouncement by Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju that the party has initiated the process of removing Ruto as deputy party leader.
In a hard-hitting statement at the party’s Pangani headquarters, the Cabinet Secretary said Ruto will no longer be allowed to use the offices to make such statements.
Tuju went on to state that the deputy party leader has no role in organizing grassroots elections adding that the DP ceased to be party leader the moment he opened “Jubilee Asili” offices.
Kositany said “Tuju’s statement is very unfortunate” adding that he (Tuju) should have first sought to know what Ruto was doing at the offices.
The Soy MP dismissed claims of takeover further stating that Jubilee Asili is not a political party.
“We have no such intention. But it has turned out we provoked them to come out with exactly what they have been planning.”
“They can go check with the registrar of political parties if Jubilee Asili is registered. It is a place where will be sitting to discuss our future.”
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen pointed out that no person or organ can change the provision of the Jubilee constitution that joins the party leader and deputy to this hip.
“No one can change that unless the Jubilee Constitution is amended or national elections held. Treat Tuju’s lamentations just like a donkey breaking wind,” the lawmaker said.
The contention in Jubilee is that the Tuju and Vice chairman David Murathe side are giving in too much in favour of the handshake.
This is following the party’s stance against fielding a candidate in Msambweni MP by-election and several MCA posts. ODM has given up some too.
Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, thought not for a snap election, said they fear the same may happen to Ruto in 2022.
“Following the trend in by-elections where we always have candidates but Jubilee has withdrawn their bid at the expense of handshake, could this trend reflect in the general election where they will tell us to support a handshake candidate?” Washili asked.
“The vice chair and sec gen have hinted at supporting the ODM candidate in 2022. Are they not likely to pick another candidate?”
Washiali wants national delegates’ conference convened to iron out the outstanding issues in the president’s party.
The grand question i=on their lips, he said, is; “where does the secretary general get the authority to even attempt to chase his boss?”
“If we go for snap election, we may not even get the answer,” Washiali said. “I will not go that route. Kenyans are learning something out of this push and pull.”
The DP’s allies say the sit-ins at the Pangani offices will be the order of the day and won’t budge to any barricades.
“We will go back every other day. Let them bring the teargas, and the cops. We will go there with our wheelbarrows and iron sheets,” Kositany said.