Confusion characterised the fight for former ruling party Jubilee even as focus shifted to the likely trail of casualties from either side of the divide.
East Africa Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega’s camp yesterday expelled Jubilee Vice-Chairman David Murathe and Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni.
The decision came barely two days before the now disputed National Delegates Convention (NDC) called by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
At the same time, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi told Mr Kenyatta to relinquish leadership of the party and focus on peace-keeping.
Mr Mudavadi, who was speaking during a tree-planting event at Egerton University, said the former head of state should abandon politics.
He urged Mr Kenyatta to emulate former presidents Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.
“We call on Uhuru Kenyatta to be a statesman and promote peace in the region,” Mr Mudavadi said.
But Mr Kenyatta’s camp told Newszetu that the Jubilee NDC, which will be used to kick out party rebels, would go ahead as planned.
At stake are plum parliamentary positions and the party funds.
Also at the heart of the battle is the Sh135 million allocated to Jubilee by the exchequer in the current financial year.
The party is entitled to about Sh675 million in the next five years.
Majority party
The rebels, mostly Jubilee lawmakers, are said to be opposed to monthly deductions to a party that is controlled by non-elected individuals.
Jubilee has 29 members in the National Assembly and five senators, each paying Sh10,000 per month.
The party also has a governor who forks out Sh50,000 a month.
Implications of the takeover are likely to spill over to county assemblies controlled by the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, courtesy of Jubilee.
Mr Kega’s camp plans to leave Azimio and demand slots meant for Jubilee by virtue of being a parliamentary party.
The faction also plans to hold meetings with Jubilee ward representatives to instruct them to realign what will influence allocation of committee slots in county assemblies.
Azimio is the majority party in the Nairobi County Assembly, a status that would change should Jubilee leave the alliance.
The coalition has 68 ward representatives, with the Orange Democratic Movement having 52, Jubilee (10) and Wiper (six).
The United Democratic Alliance has 52 members in the assembly.
The Kega team has trained its guns on a slot in the Parliamentary Service Commission. Jubilee is the only parliamentary party that has no member in the commission.
Azimio has Mavoko MP Patrick Makau (Wiper), Mishi Mboko (ODM) and Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni (ODM) in the seven-member commission.
Jubilee had nominated Sirisia MP John Waluke but his name was omitted at the submission stage as he was in prison.
“We must get what is rightfully ours. We have to get our slot in the PSC and demand inclusion in the bipartisan team. We have given them 14 days, failure to which we will go to court,” Mr Kega said.
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