Since the historic handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga on March 9, 2018, the ruling party, Jubilee, has seen differences between two factions, one that supports the head of state and another backing Deputy president William Ruto.
With time, the wrangles in the party have been more pronounced with the two factions taking swipes at each other publicly.
The DP's allies have decried on a number of times that he has been left in the cold, adding that the party has made important decisions without involving him.
The faction opposing DP Ruto has many vocal legislators but the key face is Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju. Over the last few months, Tuju has publicly challenged DP Ruto and his team, emerging victorious in some battles.
1.) Ruto banned from Jubilee Headquarters
The latest incident came on Friday, October 2, when Tuju banned the DP from accessing party headquarters.
Tuju stated that the DP was using the party headquarters as a centre of operationalization for his campaigns and for intimidation.
Additionally, he stated that the party's National Management Committee had recommended to the National Executive Committee that Ruto be suspended as the Deputy Party Leader after he opened the parallel Jubilee Asili offices.
"Yesterday, the DP turned up at the party headquarters with more than 30 MPs, many of them known abusers of the president...foul-mouthed MPs that are on record attacking government projects like Huduma Namba. That move almost created an ugly confrontation," he stated.
2.) Msambweni by-election
On September 23, 2020, the Jubilee party sent a statement to newsroom announcing that it would not field a a candidate in the forthcoming Msambweni by-election slated for Tuesday, December 15.
Moments after the announcement, Ruto rushed to the headquarters and held a meeting with party officials.
Though the DP was of the opinion that a Jubilee candidate should have been fielded in the race, he held a press briefing saying that he was in support of party's decision.
3.) Ruto allies outed from key parliament committees
A section of politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto were ousted from various positions held in parliament in a purge announced by Tuju.
The purge saw Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria ousted from the Transport committee as vice chair, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa was ousted from the Budget committee chair position, Elegeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen as Majority leader and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika as Majority whip.
At the time, the DP was outsmarted after some of his own allies like nominated senator Millicent Omanga voted against Murkomen and Kihika.
Ruto first broke his silence on the Jubilee purge while speaking during a burial in Nandi County on Friday, July 3, as he noted that the changes would not dampen his bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.
4.) Tuju outsmarts Ruto After rejecting structural Jubilee changes
On April 10, 2020, Ruto rejected changes made in the Jubilee's structural leadership, where new members of the National Executive Committee (NMC) had been gazetted.
Ruto had termed the gazettement as fraudulent.
"As Kenyans are focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, some shadowy characters are attempting to fraudulently institute illegal changes in officials of Jubilee party. As deputy leader, I have alerted the registrar of the fraud. Party members should know that the matter is being handled," Ruto had stated.
However, despite the protests, Tuju moved to formalise the appointment of Lucy Nyawira Macharia, Marete Marungu, Walter Nyambati, Jane Nampaso, and James Waweru, replacing Fatuma Shukri, Pamela Mutu, and Veronica Maina as the party's NMC.
Jubilee Vice-Chairman David Murathe stated that as far as he was concerned, the changes were a foregone conclusion, regardless of opposition from the DP's camp.
