Hello and welcome to the Evening Brief Newsletter where we watched a pin clipping UDA together defuse.
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Power Asunder
Over the weekend, both President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua individually seemed to defuse their pins after months of projecting a united and harmonious ruling party.
For weeks, rumours had swirled in the press that the two leaders were no longer on the same page indicating that Gachagua had taken time off and went on a prayer and fasting session on Mt Kenya to clear his path.
On Saturday evening, after attending the Madaraka Day and hurriedly traveling to Ngogoyo for a festival, the DP seemed to rip off the band-aid on political tiffs and let his views run amok.
What Gachagua is Saying: "Listen to the politicians as they speak, those who are fighting for our people to get what they deserve are the heroes of our community. Those who are not should be marked so that everyone knows who they are. Whenever I remain silent, there is something that is not moving in the right direction but you know whenever anything is amiss, I will speak about it."
Ruto, on the other hand, appeared to take aim at his deputy while delivering a speech at a Church service on Sunday before jetting to South Korea for an official visit.
Here are four key issues that seem to be driving a wedge in the middle of UDA;
Tangatanga MPs: Over the past week, Gachagua was at loggerheads with lawmakers he describes as allies of Ruto offering the Head of State bad advice and continually making countrywide trips beyond their constituencies.
Gachagua advised some of the lawmakers including Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi to concentrate on delivering their mandate in their constituencies and avoid infiltrating Mt Kenya Politics.
"There are politicians from Rift Valley who have partnered with others in the Mt Kenya region and have decided to plan 2027 politics. Why do you want to succeed the president while he is still alive? We are good people, so the problem is a few leaders from this region (Rift Valley) who are ill-advising the President on Mt Kenya politics," Gachagua stated last weekend.
Ruto, however, encouraged lawmakers to make a habit of attending events countrywide arguing that they need to understand the country to be able to exercise oversight.
“It is not a village assembly, it's the National Assembly. So MPs, you should know you have a duty to your constituency through representation but you also have a duty to the nation through legislation and oversight," he stated.
“You have to get out of your constituency and go to the next place, understand Kenya so that as you legislate in Parliament, you understand your country."
Access to Chopper: New reports have indicated that the deputy president is finding difficulties accessing clearance to use military choppers in his countrywide visits.
On Monday, Standard reported that Gachagua was denied clearance to use a chopper during his visit to attend the 61st Madaraka Day Event in Bungoma due to bad weather.
This was the third time the DP was denied chopper clearance in a span of one month. The first instance occurred on May 10.
Searching for Own Party: Five days ago, a report on the cover of Nation erupted that the DP had fallen out with the UDA team and was seeking to launch his party.
The article titled Gachagua Seeks New Party Amid Falling Out with Ruto and Ruto-Gachagua tiff: DP Gachagua in Search of a new political outfit was published in the Daily Nation Newspaper and its Digital platform on May 29, 2024.
The DP, however, denied the claims and demanded an apology from the outlet arguing that the story was written in bad faith.
"This one-sided false and concocted story is laced with innuendos and malice. To associate His Excellency the Deputy President with another political party, especially one with questionable association can only have been done in bad faith, with the sole intention of undermining His Excellency's role as the Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party," read a letter signed by Njeri Rugene, Head of the Deputy Presidential Communication Service.
"It is deliberately intended to disparage and attack the integrity of His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya," the letter read in part. The article also clearly violates the tenets of professional journalism that demand objectivity, balance and fairness. In this regard, we demand a retraction of this fabricated article and an apology with the same prominence."
One Vote, One Shilling: Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's One Man, One Vote, One Shilling policy has set him on a coalition course against some of his coalition members as well as leaders across the country.
On Saturday night, Gachagua insisted that leaders from the Mount Kenya Region should be monitored and ensure they are marked for opposing his policy.
He further argued that the revenue-sharing deal was what the people of Mount Kenya deserved and anyone campaigning against the proposal was not an ally and defender of the region and its people.
His call for the revenue-sharing policy, however, rubbed leaders from the North Eastern region the wrong way who argued that if implemented, it would further marginalise their communities.
Gachagua, however, enjoys support from a section of Mt Kenya leaders.
Catch Up Quick: Gachagua had earlier fallen out with several leaders forcing UDA SG Cleophas Malala to order several politicians within the party including Sudi to cease their attacks against Gachagua or have disciplinary action taken against them. Among those censured were Sudi and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga.
He also issued a warning to Cabinet Secretaries Kipchumba Murkomen of Transport, Moses Kuria of Public Service, and Aisha Jumwa of Gender directing them to cease political activity per the law.
"We must uphold the values and principles that guide our party to ensure that we deliver on our promises to the Kenyan people," he stated.
Brotherhood: Gachagua escorted President Ruto during his departure for Seoul, South Korea on Sunday night.
Losing the Case
The Kenya African National Union (KANU) party, which is headed by former Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, the son of the late President Daniel Moi, suffered a blow after it lost ownership of the multi-billion Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) land.
In a ruling, Justice Jacqueline Mogeni of the High Court sitting in Nairobi revoked KANU's title deed which the party argued was issued to itself.
Justice Mogeni ruled that the Ministry of Tourism was the lawful owner of the expansive facility.
"The allocation of the property to KANU without following legal procedure is unlawful and illegal," Justice Mogeni stated.
Catch Up Quick: In their court documents, KANU argued that it was allocated the land in May 1969 by the administrator of land and handed a title deed, making them the bona fide owners of the multi-billion property.
The party had filed the petition at the Environment and Land court, trying to get back the land after it was kicked out in February 2003 through an executive order.
What KANU Claimed: "That the petitioner has an indefeasible title to land Reference Number 209/11157 as the registered owner under Section 26 of the Land Registration Act, No. 3 of 2012, and it was unlawful for the 1st respondent to purport to revoke the title without due process of the law," the party said in the court documents.
Justice Mogeni clarified that KANU did not present evidence in the procedure for how public land was alienated and then allocated to the party. She said the commissioner of lands had no power to alienate property to KANU.
What KANU is Saying Now: The Party announced that it was dissatisfied by the ruling and planned to file an appeal.
"While we respect and appreciate the independence of the Judiciary as an arbiter in this matter, we wish to clearly state that we are in total disagreement with the judgment granting the ownership of the land to the Ministry of Tourism," read the KANU statement in part.
"Meanwhile, the party has already instructed its legal team to file a notice of appeal with immediate effect as the party combs through the substance of the judgment to issue a comprehensive statement in due course."
Here are five other stories we have prepared for you today;
- High Court extends orders barring the construction of the controversial Mau Mau Road project for a third time.
- Two die after Liquefied Petroleum Gas tanker burst into flames near Fedha Estate matatu stage in Embakasi South Constituency, Nairobi County.
- Police officers in Nairobi arrested a teenager who was captured on video beating up and injuring a police officer in Mirema.
- Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir explained that the county charges Ksh1.8 million per lorry transporting Muguka.
- Two forest guards were shot dead in the wee hours of Monday, June 3, after heavy gunshots were heard in Elgeyo Marakwet.
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This newsletter was written by Derrick Kubasu and edited by Brian Muuo.
Washington Mito contributed to the content.
Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo.
