Details of President Uhuru Kenyatta's speech at State House, Nairobi, on Monday, May 11, have surfaced after the meeting with senators was kept under wraps.
With 20 Senators reportedly attending the meeting, according to State House, Kenyatta addressed his loyalists, advising them on how to consolidate power in what was seemingly a thinly veiled attack on Deputy President William Ruto and his ardent supporters.
A report by the Daily Nation on Tuesday, May 12, detailed that Kenyatta was ushered to speak by Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju before they embarked on kicking out Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen as the senate majority leader.
"It's good to humble yourself, those who want power through force will not go far.
"My intention was and is not to kick anyone out," Kenyatta advised and defended his decision.
He further reiterated his support for Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, emphasising that the handshake between the two leaders was a uniting factor to a divisive Kenya.
"The handshake was the only way out because the country was ungovernable at the time we agreed to work together with Odinga. Using force to deal with the situation at the time would not have been helpful," he added.
Murkomen was replaced by West Pokot Senator, Samuel Phogisio, former Information and Communication Minister (2008) and Kenya African National Union Party member.
After the ouster, Ruto's allies argued that the quorum required to eject Murkomen was not met. Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, through his Facebook page, argued that only 16 attended the meeting.
According to Kuria, out of 35 Jubilee senators, 22 missed out, meaning only 13 Jubilee senators plus three KANU senators availed themselves. This is four short of the required 20, that was required to oust Murkomen.
"The good thing is that in the Senate, the servers will be opened," Kuria stated while trolling Jubilee with ODM's request to have Interim Boundaries and Election Committee (IEBC) servers opened, in the controversial 2017 General Election, which Kenyatta won. ODM accused Kenyatta of rigging the elections.
"You will never see photos of the purported Jubilee senators Parliamentary Group Meeting, for the very simple reason that numbers do not lie. Of the 35 Jubilee senators, 23 kept off. What has befallen the ruling party? Amidst a global health pandemic, we are engaged in such monkey business?" Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot weighed in via Twitter.
Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Kenyatta's ally, and Makueni senator, urged Ruto's aggrieved team to seek legal address as Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka, would only confirm that the quorum to oust Murkomen was met.
"The Speaker of the Senate is only required to confirm that majority of the senators signed the changes in their leadership and the communication was issued by the authorized person. Any other dispute will have to be taken to another legal entity, Mutula, a lawyer by profession, advised.
