Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula and ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi have hit out at President Uhuru Kenyatta after the Jubilee party hatched a plan to extend his powers when his term ends in August.
Speaking at Tononoka Grounds on Saturday, February 6, Wetangula stated that the president was misled by the Jubilee Parliamentary Group(PG) who extended his term as the party leader.
The FORD Kenya party leader stated that the move was unusual from other Heads of State who have retired before him. He explained that all the retired presidents left their roles as party leaders after leaving State House.
The senator stated that the president risked losing his stature as a statesman if he decided to continue playing active politics after the forthcoming elections.
"Those who are lying to you that you continue leading a party after you leave office are taking you astray from the beaten track of retired presidents. When you retire you become a national statesman," he advised.
During a PG meeting of the Jubilee party meeting held at State House on February 4, it was decided that Kenyatta would continue being serving as the party leader after his retirement in August.
The party leadership noted that the president still had influence in national politics and was tasked with negotiating with other presidential candidates as they seek to enter a coalition before the August polls.
“The Jubilee Party will seek to get into a coalition with like-minded parties and support a Presidential Candidate with whom we share common ideals, who will treat us with respect, and with whom we can form the next government as an ‘Anchor Partner’, to continue with the work done during the last 10 years,” read a statement by the party.
Further, Uhuru promised to finance leaders of the Jubilee party who had remained loyal to him during his second term.
On his part, the Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader stated that the decision by Uhuru to remain in politics after the August polls was evidence that he was the force behind the creation of Azimio la Umoja.
He accused the Head of State of using former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as a decoy to remain in power.
“The riddle of Azimio has been unraveled. We have now realised that the owner of Azimio is non-other than Uhuru Kenyatta. He is the owner,” Mudavadi stated.
