Jubilee party's inner circle is organising a two-day retreat that is set to be held after the Kiambaa parliamentary by-election slated for July 15, 2021. The meeting, planned by Uhuru’s allies, is an effort to resolve Jubilee’s internal issues.
However, several party members allied to DP Ruto will not attend the forum as they have not been invited whereas others have simply opted not to honor invitations.
The National Management Committee, a miniature but dominant composition within Jubilee, is currently preparing the retreat.
Jubilee’s proposed restructuring comes after a split of endorsement between Uhuru and Ruto. Moreover, Tanga Tanga members are further aggrieved by the plans of Jubilee to merge with ODM ahead of the 2022 polls.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Ruto ally Gathoni Wamuchomba stated that she had not been involved in her party leader's plans to merge Jubilee and ODM ahead of general elections slated for 2022. Ruto’s confederates have shifted their loyalties to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) along with the DP, who will contest for presidency upon securing the party’s nomination.
Former Jubilee deputy secretary-general Caleb Kositany asserted that no Ruto ally would be present at the retreat.
Raila’s inner circle has expressed confidence that an alliance with Jubilee would take form this month. This is expected to birth an official and aggressive pursuit for a 2022 State House deal. Both Jubilee and ODM are in haste to get approval from their key stakeholders to implement coalition instruments.
Proponents of the March 2018 handshake have been accused by Tanga Tanga proponents of frustrating Ruto’s aim for the presidency. His supporters in Jubilee have lamented suffering backlash for backing him in his bid by being termed as disrespectful to the head of state and party at large.
Irungu Kang’ata confirmed that indeed coalition talks of his party Jubilee and ODM has created a rift ultimately causing loss of interest by the former’s members. He added that he would not attend the retreat.
Most of Ruto’s allies were discontinued from critical leadership positions in the party in 2020 following a purge by the President's efforts to disorient the DP’s grip on Jubilee components. They include former deputy secretary-general Caleb Kositany who was replaced by a friendlier Joshua Kutuny.
According to Daily Nation, Daniel Rono, MP for Keiyo South and Ruto’s ally opined that Jubilee was “too dictatorial to invite those with divergent opinions.” It came out that the planned union would take Kenya back to the age of tribal kingpins which was summatively brought to an end in the previous general elections of 2017.
Ruto’s camp has in the recent past accused Jubilee’s leaders of constantly failing to involve them in decision-making processes except for punishing those who are considered to be rebels.
