President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party is reported to have acquired three small political parties in a bid to cushion itself from the effects of Jubilee aspirants defecting to the National Super Alliance (NASA).
Jubilee is said to have bought the Party of Action (POA), that was associated with JP Head of Secretariat Raphael Tuju, and is in the process of rebranding it into Party of Development (PD), the Standard on Sunday reports.
JP is also sponsoring the Frontier Alliance Party (FAP) for the pastoralist areas as well as the Patriotic Party of Kenya (PPK), that was based in the coastal region.
Sources privy to the move, which comes barely six months after 11 parties were dissolved and merged into Jubilee, revealed that the decision to now acquire new political outfits was pushed by close circles around Deputy President William Ruto.
DP Ruto is reportedly eager to weaken KANU and Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) Parties to ensure they do not benefit from the defections in the Rift Valley.
The acquiring of the small parties, which are pro-Jubilee, is also aimed at providing an alternative to aspirants who might be discontented with the outcome of the nominations slated for next month.
Former assistant minister Danson Mungatana, who is eyeing the Tana River Governor’s seat, disclosed that he had been informed senior Jubilee officials to identify one of the political outfits allied to the ruling party.
"When Governor Hussein Dado moved to the party, the officials at JP told me to shop for a party allied to it. I will unveil that party this week,” Mungatana stated.
Majority Leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale supported the move to acqiure the small parties noting that they will provide inclusivity as there are unique political features in some areas which cannot be accommodated in Jubilee.
