Ruto corners Uhuru, plots his forcible exit from political scene
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta. A faction of the Jubilee Party that toppled Kenyatta’s allies has laid the groundwork for exit from the opposition coalition with an ultimatum to their party leader that effectively signals a looming coup.
A faction of the Jubilee Party that toppled retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies has laid the groundwork for the party's exit from the opposition coalition with an ultimatum to their party leader that effectively signals a looming coup.
By setting in motion plans to withdraw from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, where Mr Kenyatta sits by virtue of his position as Jubilee Party leader, the splinter group allied to President William Ruto is forcing him into two options — agree to their mission to hammer a deal with the ruling coalition or risk imminent ouster from the party leadership.
In a two-pronged strategy apparently calculated to force Mr Kenyatta to quit the party leadership, which would diminish his standing in Azimio, Mr Kenyatta has another looming statutory deadline in a month.
The Presidential Retirement Benefits Act says “a retired President shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as President.”
This places that deadline on March 13 and, although Mr Kenyatta has vowed he will not be blackmailed with retirement perks, if he doesn’t quit, it will open a protracted legal and political fight with a government that has signalled it will play hardball with critics as he did with his then deputy, Dr Ruto.
Yesterday, it emerged the new Jubilee party leaders have agreed to give Mr Kenyatta time to negotiate the way forward regarding the planned exit from Azimio.
“We have come up with a six-month roadmap, which will define where we are heading to. We are going to appoint a dispute resolution committee to look into our exit from Azimio and that will take us around 90 days,” Jubilee Deputy Secretary-General Joshua Kutuny told Nation.
“Within the same period, we hope that our party leader will reach out so that we explain to him why we want to exit. We have been frustrated because our members have been denied some positions in Parliament and that is what has engineered all these,” Mr Kutuny added.
On withdrawal of parties, the Azimio coalition agreement stipulates:
“Any party may withdraw from this coalition agreement upon giving 90 days’ notice to the coalition council of its intention to withdraw from the coalition party.”
It adds: “No party may withdraw from the coalition six months before the August 2022 General Election or within three months after the date of the said General Election.”
State House meetings
This caveat that locked in affiliate parties is no longer applicable, explains the implosion in Jubilee that coincidently erupted immediately after President Ruto twice met Jubilee lawmakers at State House.
Jubilee leaders take a picture with President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at State House on February 8, 2023.
At the meetings, the Jubilee lawmakers denounced the protest rallies championed by Azimio leader Raila Odinga, who has declared he does not recognise the Kenya Kwanza government.
The unravelling coup in Jubilee harks back to similar developments in the previous government when President Kenyatta’s camp hounded the side allied to his deputy, Dr Ruto, forcing them to flee to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on whose ticket Dr Ruto defeated Mr Odinga in last year’s presidential election.
After wresting control of Mt Kenya from Mr Kenyatta, Dr Ruto won the presidency with overwhelming support from the region. The latest move to indirectly seize control of the former ruling party and secure the backing of its 32 lawmakers in Parliament completes the hostile takeover.
East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega, Eldas MP Adan Keynan and his Kitui South counterpart Rachel Nyamai were picked as acting secretary-general, vice-chairman and national treasurer, respectively.
Bahati MP Irene Njoki, nominated MP Sabina Chege, nominated Senator Margaret Kamar and Nyamira Woman Rep Jerusha Momanyi were co-opted as National Executive Committee (NEC) members.
Kioni reprieve
Yesterday, former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, who had been ousted as secretary-general, secured orders from the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal temporarily blocking his suspension.
“All our leaders have a price and the rule of law is not available within our boundaries at the moment. Kenyans need to ask themselves, are you for us or against us? The die is already cast,” said Mr Kioni. Another of Mr Kenyatta’s allies, Mr David Murathe, who was ejected as vice-chairman following a meeting that Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu said was properly convened by the Kega-led group, also secured a reprieve from the tribunal. On Wednesday, Mr Murathe was bullish, saying, they are not bothered by the coup plotted against them in the former ruling party.
Azimio leaders Raila Odinga (centre), Eugene Wamalwa (right), Kalonzo Musyoka (second right), Jeremiah Kioni and Martha Karua at the Jubilee Party headquarters in Nairobi on February 16, 2023.
“We will go to the people with our consultative barazas,” Mr Murathe said in a text to Nation, alluding to the opposition protest rallies led by Mr Odinga. This latest development will trigger a legal battle.
Earlier, Mr Kutuny had insisted that, as things stand, the party’s NEC had made a decision and everyone in the party had to abide by it.
“Unfortunately, a decision of the party is made by the NEC and resolutions which have gone to the registrar have been signed by NEC members. Therefore, if he [Mr Kenyatta] wants to make any decision, he has to use diplomacy,” Mr Kutuny said, directly taking on his boss.
The former Cherangany MP added: “We have a lot of respect for our party leader and that is why we have not discussed it at the moment.”
But the move by the Jubilee coup plotters to work with Kenya Kwanza puts Mr Kenyatta in an awkward position, which is likely to force him to get involved in protracted political fights — and risk getting into direct conflict with his successor — or resign as party leader.
"Azimio mistreatment"
And, speaking on Wednesday at the Jubilee Party headquarters in Kileleshwa, the group led by their chairperson Nelson Dzuya said they want to be identified independently in Parliament because they have been mistreated in Azimio.
“We have asked our supporters, elected leaders and NEC members that, since our party stands for peace, they should not participate in meetings which can disrupt the peace we have continued to enjoy,” said Mr Kega on Mr Odinga’s protest meetings.
Dr Erick Komolo, a political analyst, said whatever is going on in the former ruling party is a well-choreographed scheme to elbow out the former Head of State from the party.
“The next logical step is for Kioni and his team to move to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal,” said Dr Komolo. According to Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, the leaders joining Dr Ruto’s camp now only remained in Jubilee to win elections.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga acknowledge greetings from Luanda and Kisumu City residents on February 11, 2023.
“One has to decide where to be. Be on the side where you believe in. Those in Jubilee feel very lost even in Parliament because, when we meet as Mt Kenya MPs, they cannot join our meeting,” he said.
“They knew that, if they went against Uhuru then, they could not have found their way into Parliament,” said Mr Kagombe.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, who lost his seat after resisting the UDA wave in Mt Kenya to stick with Mr Kenyatta, said the former Head of State is supposed to exit politics to allow Jubilee to grow.
“I think there is an expectation that, as a retired President, he will exit politics, especially overt politics, within six months. I think this is a good thing. Uhuru served 10 years and he did a good job. That the political transition he would have preferred didn’t work does not mean he failed to be a good President. Exiting politics is also a good thing for Kenya. It allows the new regime to be analysed independently of the previous one,” said Mr Wambugu.
Mr Wambugu also asked Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to protect the interests of Mr Kenyatta if he wants to take over as the Mt Kenya political leader.
“To become the de-facto kingpin, Rigathi Gachagua needs to find it within himself to embrace even those who did not support him. I am specifically asking Rigathi to protect Uhuru from anyone who might seek to harass him,” said Mr Wambugu.
Prof Masibo Lumala of Moi University said that although President Ruto has managed to isolate his former boss in Central, the move has also given Mr Gachagua the upper hand in his quest of becoming political kingpin of Mt Kenya.
“Once you are not in active politics, you do not need a party but MPs. Unfortunately, some of these MPs have their own ambitions. With Jubilee MPs having promised to work with the Kenya Kwanza government, it is a boost to Rigathi Gachagua in his bid to succeed Uhuru Kenyatta as Mt Kenya kingpin,” said Prof Lumala.
