Uhuru Ousts Jubilee Officials Aligned with Ruto in Comeback Move
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has controversially expelled senior Jubilee officials. Perceived to be allied with President William Ruto through the use of updated “secret” resignation letters. While convening a special national delegates conference as part of a major political comeback plot.
This precedes new threats by Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga to resume protests, whose coalition claims Jubilee membership is intact.
Mr. Kenyatta reportedly fired Jubilee Chairman Nelson Dzuya and Executive Director Wambui Gichuru using undated letters of resignation they had allegedly signed when they were appointed. This is an escalation of the disputes rocking the former ruling party.
The decision was made during a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) held on Friday, as the former President seeks to reclaim control of the former ruling party.
The elimination of these two is viewed as a crucial step in launching a purge against perceived rebels.
Principal officials are affiliated with the faction led by Kanini Kega, which has declared that the party is cooperating with President Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza administration.
Mr. Kenyatta had largely stayed out of the squabbles, with factions led by Mr. Jeremiah Kioni and Mr. Kega each claiming to be the secretary general, until last Wednesday, when he appeared at the party’s offices in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, and declared he would not permit a takeover.
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David Murathe, the vice-chairman of the Jubilee party, disclosed in an interview with Sunday Nation that all top party officials signed undated resignation letters when they were appointed, with the understanding that the party leader could act on them whenever necessary.
According to the agreement, Mr. Kenyatta only needed to date the resignation letters for them to become effective.
“In these senior positions, when you sign a letter of appointment, you also sign a letter of resignation without a date,” This is a typical governmental practice. Mr. Murathe stated that all Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries had submitted their resignation letters.
The NEC meeting reportedly decided that Mr. Murathe will serve as party chairman until May 22, when the party will hold its NDC.
The faction that supports Ruto disputes both meetings.
Mr. Kenyatta issued a 21-day notice to members of the special NDC yesterday.
In addition to reviewing, formulating, and approving Jubilee party policies, the meeting will also receive a status report from the NEC.
According to sources cited by Sunday Nation, Mr. Kenyatta intends to expel from the convention any officials deemed to have ties to President Ruto.
Mr. Kega, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), and Sabina Chege, a member of the Jubilee Party, face an uncertain future after the party threatened to revoke their nominations to Parliament.
Mr. Murathe stated that Dr. Ruto’s allies had taken advantage of Mr. Kenyatta’s silence in the struggle for control of the organization, while at the same time implicating the ruling Kenya Kwanza leadership in the plot to forcibly seize the party.
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“The Party Leader has the authority to summon any party organ at any time.” The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ruled that the party must resolve its disputes internally. One method is to call the delegates to order. Mr. Murathe explained that the current officials were elected during a delegates’ conference and can only be removed through a similar convention.
“I do not wish to discuss the former president’s plan, but I can say that his silence has been exploited to this point. “Enough is enough,” Murathe said.
Yesterday, however, factions of Jubilee led by Mr. Dzuya rejected their alleged resignation as party officials and accused Mr. Kenyatta of forgery.
Deputy Secretary General Joshua Kutuny told Sunday Nation that they have since reported the incident to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
They forged the resignation letters of the party’s chairman and executive director. We have informed the DCI to initiate investigations. We are aware of their plan to seize control of the Party’s bank accounts. “The two officials are account signatories,” said Mr. Kutuny.
Kutuny and Dzuya argued that since Mr. Kenyatta is no longer the leader of the Jubilee Party, he cannot call a meeting.
They also claimed that Mr. Kenyatta’s NEC meeting was invalid because it lacked a quorum. J
The Jubilee NEC consists of 28 members.
Mr. Kutuny reported that only eight members were present.
However, according to Murathe, a total of ten members attended the meeting.
According to him, the NEC meeting must have a quorum of seven members.
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The Sunday Nation has learned that Mr. Murathe, Mr. Kioni, Kagwe Gichoi (Treasurer), Garissa Senator Abdulkadir Haji, National Chair of the party’s persons living with disabilities Wanja Maina, Ex-Molo MP Njenga Mungai, former nominated MP Maison Leshomo, and Lamu East MP Ruweida Obo Mohammed attended the meeting presided over by Mr. Kenyatta.
Mr. Dzuya stated, “The former party leader ceased to be the party leader in March 2023 by section 6(1) of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which states that a retired president may not hold office in any political party for more than six months after leaving office as president.”
“We have also learned that purported resignation letters of some party officials were presented at the aforementioned meeting to give the impression that they had voluntarily resigned from their respective positions with the intent of submitting this information to the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) and any other relevant public agencies,” he said.
Mr. Dzuya added that there have been no such resignations and that any such letters of resignation that may come to light would be fraudulent.
Simultaneously, both factions intend to relocate the party’s headquarters from Kileleshwa following Wednesday’s altercation, which resulted in the deployment of dozens of police officers. The office is in a residential neighborhood.
Mr. Kutuny stated that they have begun looking for a new office, while Mr. Murathe indicated that they have asked the landlady for more time while they search for a new location.
In February of this year, Jubilee relocated to the new address from a six-story building in Pangani.
“The objective of our opponents was to create disorder and annoy residents. Mr. Murathe told Sunday Nation that the landlord has consented to the business’s continuation while it searches for a more suitable location.
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Mr. Kenyatta’s decision to intervene in the struggle for supremacy signaled an all-out assault on the government.
President Ruto’s camp views Wednesday’s development as confirmation that Mr. Kenyatta will defy the law. Requiring former presidents to step down from party leadership positions six months after leaving office.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) told Sunday Nation that Mr. Kenyatta had not yet formally announced his intention to step down. As chairman of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition.
In contrast to former Heads of State Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki (both deceased). Who largely avoided active politics and went into a quiet retirement without antagonizing their successors. Mr. Kenyatta remains in the public eye. With the recent storming of his Jubilee party headquarters. To save the party from alleged takeover plans by a rival camp. Demonstrating his significant political involvement.
“Uhuru Ousts Jubilee Officials Aligned with Ruto in Comeback Move”
Except for Mr. Moi’s support for the No side in a 2005 constitutional referendum that Mr. Kibaki lost. Both former presidents largely stayed out of politics after their terms.
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Yesterday, COTU General Secretary Francis Atwoli accused Mr. Kenyatta. Of taking sides in the ongoing political conflict between President Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
“I would like to appeal to our former president, who should be a peacemaker.
Uhuru (Mr. Kenyatta) should be the one to reconcile them (Ruto and Raila). As a retired president does not need to take political sides,” said Mr. Atwoli.
However, party officials have defended his actions, stating that as Jubilee’s leader, he has every right to defend the party.
Section 6 (1) of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act of 2003. States that a former president “shall not hold office in any political party. For more than six months after leaving office.”
However, Mr. Murathe contends that the Act is invalid because the Constitution is supreme.
Mr. Murathe states, “The 2010 Constitution of Kenya makes clear that every Kenyan has the right to political association.”
Even in public, the former head of state has not concealed his support for Mr. Odinga. Which continues to put him at odds with the Ruto regime.
In February, while addressing the public in the Luanda market. Shortly after attending the burial of the late Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha in Siaya. Mr. Kenyatta took a shot at President Ruto, stating that Mr. Odinga had the best interests of the country at heart.
The Vice President, Rigathi Gachagua, has accused Mr. Kenyatta of funding unrest to destabilize their fledgling government.
Uhuru Ousts Jubilee Officials Aligned with Ruto in Comeback Move
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