By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- In seeking to stamp its authority, the team have been invoking the provisions of the Jubilee party constitution and playing smart politics.
- As a person who interacts frequently with the people at grassroots, allow me to say this without fear of contradiction.
- One would have expected Uhuru to this soon after completion of his two-terms of five year each at helm and handing over power to his successor.
- It is not however too late though the Presidential Retirement Benefit Act required him to hang the boot six months after leaving office.
- It is worth to note Parliament enacted this Act in 2012 and Uhuru became the president one year later.
A day after the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) confirmed Kanini Kega-led line up as comprising the bonafide officials of the Jubilee party, former Muranga Woman Representative Sabina Chege attended a Kenya Kwanza parliamentary group meeting at State House.
She attended in her capacity as the nominated MP and being one of the Jubilee MP who had shifted allegiances to the ruling alliance.
Of 32 MPs elected on Jubilee ticket, it is only four who sided with the former president.
President Ruto in his welcoming remarks caused a prolonged laughter when he referred her as the party leader.
I expected the Azimio side to allege that this confirmed their widely held view that Dr Ruto was behind woes facing Jubilee party. Reason? They had been blinded to look at everything from the perspective of politics.
Here, they would forget one critical aspects of the political game.
You cannot succeed to manuever you way if you turn deaf ear to the provisions of the constitution and law.
The laws governing the management and running of political parties were very clear.
The Kega team seems to understand this very well.
In seeking to stamp its authority, the team have been invoking the provisions of the Jubilee party constitution and playing smart politics.
As a person who interacts frequently with the people at grassroots, allow me to say this without fear of contradiction.
Majority of Jubilee supporters have and are changing thier mind.
Kega team, they say, is on the right course and means well for our party.
We appreciate the role the former President played to establish this party. It is however wrong to claim entitlement of this party forever.
A leader worth salt nurtures other leaders and pass the baton to them.
One would have expected Uhuru to this soon after completion of his two-terms of five year each at helm and handing over power to his successor.
It is not however too late though the Presidential Retirement Benefit Act required him to hang the boot six months after leaving office.
It is worth to note Parliament enacted this Act in 2012 and Uhuru became the president one year later.
During his tenure, I never heard the President Uhuru and his troops in the House faulting this law. Why are they now denouncing the Act?
Let me borrow the words of Cotu boss Francis Atwoli. Uhuru is too young to retire. Didn’t the lawmakers know this?
Yes, the power is very sweet and this is why some leaders would become blinded and obsessed with it.
Get me right here. I’m not saying Uhuru should continue to cling on leadership of Jubilee party.
However, this is my advise to our leaders. Put aside your personal interests and make the laws that serve the will of the people.
For me, EALA MP Kanini Kega and MP Sabina Chege are young, vibrant and energetic. They also have a track record of building the Jubilee party from the scratch and championing the cause of the party leader Uhuru Kenyatta when he was at the helm.
Therefore, the party is so dear to them and is prepared to steer it to great heights of success and shared prosperity.
During the National Delegates Conference (NDC) that reports indicated it was not held in accordance with the Jubilee constitution, I heard Uhuru expressing fear that he does not trust them. When didΒ he arrive at this decision and why?
These are the same leaders who stood with you during the entire electioneering period.
Your candidate lost and Dr Ruto won.
By shifting their loyalties to President Ruto, did they broke any law? With due respect to former president, if yes, tell us which law?
Initially, President Ruto had restrained himself from commenting anything touching on infighting bedeviling his former party, Jubilee.
Therefore, I wish to disagree with the Azimio side. President Ruto referred Ms Sabina as the Party leader after the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) confirmed and approved the changes that saw her elevated to replace Uhuru Kenyatta.
Jubilee is one of the strong affiliate parties in Azimio coalition.
If the coalition is disatsified, it should direct the question to the Registrar.
When he took the reign of power, President Ruto promised to govern the country strictly in accordance with the provisions of the law and the constitution. He has remained true to this course.
The office of Political Parties Registrar is created by the law and so its decisions are binding unless overturned by the court of law.
The aggrieved parties have not filed a petition. So, the elevation of Ms Sabina stands out.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga isΒ a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
