Jubilee secretary general Rafael Tuju and vice-chairman David Murathe have been asked to refrain from making political statements and concentrate on the day-to-day running of the party as the ruling party reels from humbling defeats in recent by-elections.
This came under a five-hour meeting convened to stem the fallout within the ruling party and map out ways to recover lost ground in Mount Kenya.
A public spot between members of the Jubilee party who have been trading blame over the management and outcome of the Kiamba by-election is getting out of hand party.
Party boss president Uhuru Kenyatta is said to have been unhappy about it. Yesterday the party’s national management committee met members of parliament who had been charged with the Kiambaa by-election campaigns to iron out the sore spots that have had them go for each other’s jugulars.
The meeting at the Jubilee headquarters in Pagani was quite stormy. But with the aim of having everybody speak their mind and find a way forward.
“Today, we’ve had a very candid conversation within ourselves,” said Ngunjiri Wambugu, MP-Nyeri town.
The issue of secretary-general Rafael Tuju and vice-chairperson David Murathe being relieved of their duties was extensively discussed with a section of members singling them out for supposedly mismanaging the party as well as the losses in the Kiambaa and Juja by-elections.
Further, the two were blamed for taking over the party addressing political issues and making statements that according to the members give the party a bad name.
Kieni Mp Kanini Kega has been on the front line agitating for their ouster but was a no-show in yesterday’s meeting.
“Stop looking for blood, there’s no blood. You’ve just been told is democracy. Everybody has their democratic rights, people who really feel we could have done better. It is their right to feel that way,” said David Murathe, Vice-Chair – Jubilee.
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“In such a big house, we expect divergent views. Of course, this is a very democratic party and therefore what we are telling you today is the party is united. We’ve had issues we have discussed, all these issues have been resolved. Others are that maybe a touch on the nitty-gritty of the party operations are being discussed,” said Adan Keynan, Mp-Eldas.
“We’ve deliberated that we will be meeting several times. so that we make sure that if there is an issue we will be going to handle the issue and we are going to sort out our matters internally,” said Sabina Chege, Women Rep Murang’a County.
But even as they patched up their differences and hid to the president’s call to work together, the leaders were in agreement on the need to re-energize the party and get back to the grassroots in an effort to counter the growing influence of the United Democratic Alliance.
Consequently, the party has organized a retreat for elected Jubilee leaders allied to president Uhuru Kenyatta in a fortnight to see ways of regaining lost ground.
“Many things have come up after the elections, especially on the relationships between the political class and also their party officials,” said Sabina Chege, Women Rep Murang’a County.
Ngunjiri. What we are doing now moving forward is ensuring that every person who plays a role in this party does what they’re supposed to be doing.
“You will see more involvement of politicians and technocrats and everybody else is that what Ngunjiri is trying to say,” said Adan Keynan, Mp-Eldas.
“We point out to listen to our members, their views, and their opinions about what it is that we need to do to make our party even better. That’s something that’s gonna be heavy on a regular basis and this is attempted to starting immediately as we move on from here,” said Ngunjiri Wambugu, MP-Nyeri town.
The party has also resolved to pursue the Kiambaa loss in court.
Murathe The numbers that came out of the polling stations and the polling centers were not the same numbers that came to the telling center and we have evidence.
Faced with a resilient UDA that has been bolstered with a win in Kimabaa, the Jubilee party is now rethinking its strategies in Mount Kenya as it seeks to rebrand and re-strategize in an effort to recapture what it says is owed to them.
