Fresh Jubilee purge expected after DP meets with ‘rebels’

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to lead another phase of the purge in his Jubilee Party tomorrow after his deputy William Ruto unveiled a parallel command centre.

What insiders have christened “fumigation” could see National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale fight to keep his seat, with Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya being considered to replace him.

A meeting to be chaired by President Kenyatta at 9am tomorrow at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre is expected to usher in a new phase of the Jubilee Party falling-out.

Legislators allied to the Deputy President, who were removed from various influential positions in National Assembly committees, are expected to be replaced during the meeting, according to sources that spoke to the Sunday Nation.

Those familiar with the line-up indicated that State House has not taken kindly the move by the DP to openly host “party rebels” on Thursday, a meeting that sent out signals that he is ready to take on his detractors within the party . The President’s side is said to be treating it as an act of aggression.

Kieni MP Kanini Kega, for example, is expected to take up the chairmanship of the Budget and Appropriations Committee from Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa.

“The purge is not complete without the removal of Duale,” Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat said Saturday.

Kanu has since signed a coalition agreement with Jubilee and is expected to benefit from looming Cabinet changes.

Already, the party has the Majority Leader seat in the Senate. This is after Senator Samuel Poghisio replaced Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.

The Sunday Nation has learnt that elders supporting Mr Duale recently tried to get an audience to plead his case. They feel the Majority Leader has done exceptionally well and never disrespected the President, so it would be unfair to sacrifice him in the ongoing campaign to clip Dr Ruto’s influence.

The feisty Garissa Township MP has been the voice of President Kenyatta’s government in the House for the past eight years. To assuage the Somali political base, the party, insiders say, is considering making either Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi or Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan the Jubilee Coalition Joint Parliamentary Group Secretary. However, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja is also said to be angling for the influential position.

The changes are also likely see Moiben MP Silas Tiren chair the Agriculture Committee, replacing Adan Haji from Mandera South.

“The party leadership will populate the committees during the PG meeting on Monday and assign new committee leaders. We want to get this done so we can focus on serious business,” a senior party official said.

The slots were left vacant following the de-whipping of 16 MPs allied to the DP.

Mr Duale said they will hold their first meeting to consult with the party leadership tomorrow on how to fill the positions.

“You will know the names on Monday,” Mr Duale said.

Senate majority whip Irungu Kang’ata, however, said there was no formal communication from the President on the meeting, before tomorrow’s date was later confirmed.

Another Jubilee leader in Parliament, who requested not to be named, said they are waiting for the names.

“The same way we were told to remove the 16 is the same way we are waiting for the list of those who will fill their positions,” said the source.

Other sources said that ODM leader Raila Odinga is keen on his party chairing two committees – Justice and Legal Affairs and Delegated Legislation.

Recent changes in the parliamentary committees membership are part of a move by both President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga to lay ground for smooth sailing of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report should it go to Parliament.

The two leaders, we understand, want to have loyal foot-soldiers in key committees to implement their agenda without opposition.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo is being touted to take up the mantle at the legal committee. The lawmaker is currently a member of the Public Accounts Committee and the party will have to do a mini-reshuffle to take him in, if Jubilee agrees to the deal.

However, some sources say Kangema MP Muturi Kigano is the preferred choice for those in the ruling party.

National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi, however, told the Sunday Nation that so far they have not agreed on how to share the positions, but confirmed that a meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow to discuss the modalities of filling the positions.

“As the minority leadership, we are meeting the leadership of the majority side on the way elections will be done so that we don’t have unnecessary acrimony among our members,” Mr Mbadi said. “Nothing stops our members from chairing those committees, but since Jubilee has the majority, we will agree so that our members do not fight for the same position.”