NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 11 – Deputy President William Ruto has accused a section of individuals in the Jubilee Party of scheming a plot to remove senior officials from the party.
Ruto said that he had notified the Registrar of Political parties of the intended plans to change the Jubilee’s National Management Committeee.
“The National Executive Committee has never been re constituted by the party, neither have we convened NEC to constitute or re constitute the National Management Committee, in light of the foregoing, the intended changes of the NMC membership is therefore illegal and fraudulent, ” Ruto said in a letter to the acting Registrar of Political parties, Ann Nderitu.
DP Ruto- allied politicians under the ‘Tangatanga’ brigade led by House Majority Leaders, Kipchumba Murkomen (Senate) and his National Assembly counterpart Aden Duale and MPs Caleb Kositany, John Kiarie, Kangongo Bowen, Moses Kuria also expressed similar concerns.
Murkomen said that the new officials are not members of the party’s National Executive Council and therefore, do not qualify for appointment under Jubilee party’s constitution.
“Further, the term of office of the NEC members including the Chairman and the Secretary General, lapsed in accordance with article 33 of the Jubilee party constitution. There has never been any extension of the term,” Murkomen said.
The term of the party interim officials was set to end in March 2020 and plans for election were shelved due to the COVID pandemic which has halted operations having infected 189 people and claimed seven.
Duale also objected to the new appointments saying that he was not privy to the plans having not been consulted by President Uhuru Kenyatta nor his deputy on the same.
“It is instructive to note that as the Third senior-most party official, I am aware that there has never been any meeting of any of the organs of the party, which I am a member of since 2017, I have not been consulted by the Party Leader or the deputy party leader, ” the Garissa Township MP noted.
On his part, Kuria said that changes made to the NMC should have been sanctioned by the relevant party organs through a formal meeting, which he says has not been convened.
“I protest and object to any change of NMC officials and demand that you stop and cancel any purported change, “Bowen, the Marakwet East MP said.
The Deputy President has over time faced opposition by Jubilee leaders led by former Vice Chair David Murathe who boldly object his 2022 presidential bid.
There was no immediate response from the Jubilee Party headquarters in Nairobi.
