Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared that he will not retire from active politics, signalling a protracted cold war with his successor, William Ruto.
Newszetu has established that the former Head of State, who has taken a low profile since leaving office in August last year, has vowed to hold on to his position as leader of the Jubilee party, even at the cost of losing his retirement perks.
An angry Mr Kenyatta, our sources intimated, rubbished Friday’s Jubilee party meeting in Nakuru that expelled his close political allies, Vice Chairman David Murathe and Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni.
The retired President also lashed out at the faction of Jubilee officials who announced that the former ruling party would pull out of the Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition, stating instead that the MPs and officials who have declared support for President Ruto would be expelled from the outfit.
“Those who went to State House and later convened an illegal meeting in Nakuru should immediately resign from my party. They did not invest anything in this party and were elected on the basis of my goodwill,” President Kenyatta is quoted as saying on Friday when he spoke with his close allies.
Yesterday, while addressing the public in Luanda market shortly after attending Prof Magoha’s burial, Mr Kenyatta took a swipe at President Ruto, saying Mr Odinga had the country’s best interests at heart.
“I am retired, but I am not tired. I might be out of office… but I am fully behind Raila. If he tells me we go this way, we will. I supported him in 2022, and I will back him because he is an honest man out to unite Kenya. I am not looking for any seat, but it is my right to back Raila,” Mr Kenyatta said in Luanda, Vihiga County.
New battlefront
This marks the biggest escalation in the tiff with his successor and former deputy of 10 years, with whom he had a bitter falling out in his last term in office.
Mr Kenyatta argues that the conveners of the Nakuru Jubilee meeting had no powers to do so as such an event could only be considered at a properly-constituted National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
But it is his vow not to quit his post as Jubilee party leader, even at the risk of losing his close to Sh700 million retirement perks allocated this year, that the former Head of State has opened a new battlefront with this successor, Dr Ruto.
President Kenyatta backed Mr Odinga for the presidency in the August 2022 polls, and yesterday insisted the former premier is still “my party leader”, during Prof Magoha’s burial in Siaya County.
Close allies of the former President intimately aware of the Friday night discussion the former Head of State had with confidants yesterday told Newszetu that he has indicated a resolve to ring-fence Jubilee party and guard it against co-option into the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
“I’m ready to go round the country now. I am not seeking any position. For harambee, a meat session, a party. I will come. Please follow Raila politically,” Mr Kenyatta told Luanda residents.
The bid to take back control of Jubilee, currently under siege from President Ruto who has secured the backing of at least 30 party MPs, as well as officials, is likely to deepen the political gulf between the country’s two senior-most politicians.
From a party with nearly 190 National Assembly members, 25 senators and governors, Jubilee now has 28 National Assembly legislators, three senators, and one governor.
State House this week said 30 MPs, including Mr Kanini Kega, attended the meeting.
The President Ruto-leaning MPs and officials had pegged their shift of allegiance to Kenya Kwanza Alliance on the expected retirement of Mr Kenyatta next month, based on the requirement for a former Head of State to cease holding political office six months after exiting office.
This means that the new resolve by Mr Kenyatta complicates President Ruto’s game plan and gives fresh impetus to Mr Odinga, equally under a Ruto-led siege in his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, and who has vowed not to recognise him as president and to keep his opposition coalition intact.
“A retired president shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as president,” Section 6(1) of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act states.
That date for Mr Kenyatta is on March 13, having handed over power on September 13 last year.
Blocking benefits
The Act provides that the National Assembly may initiate a motion to block a retired president from accessing his retirement benefits on grounds of active involvement in politics.
For such a motion to sail through, the 349-member House has to marshal votes of not less than two-thirds of the members.
Last week, Solicitor-General Kennedy Ogeto cited section 4 of the Act that provides for circumstances under which the benefits due to a retired Head of State may be denied.
“I am in Azimio and will ensure my party remains intact. I am not resigning as the party leader and it’s sad the retirement benefits is being used as a token to keep me away from executing my right to political association,” Mr Kenyatta is further quoted to have told his allies on Friday.
In a separate interview, a defiant Mr Murathe told Sunday Nation that Azimio was set to replace nominated MP Sabina Chege as National Assembly Deputy Minority whip this Tuesday as well as remove East Africa Legislative Assembly (Eala) MP Kanini Kega from his post as the party’s director of elections.
Mr Murathe insisted that Mr Kenyatta will stay on as Jubilee leader, and rubbished any attempt to peg his retirement benefits on his leaving the post.
“Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi earned his benefits as former deputy prime minister and party leader. The same applied to Raila Odinga as ODM party leader and Kalonzo Musyoka as Wiper leader. What is unique to Uhuru?” posed Mr Murathe.
“Amendments were made to the law and ambiguity addressed. The Bill of Rights guarantees fundamental rights to political association,” he added.
Jubilee row
The Jubilee vice chair told off members hoping to replace Mr Kenyatta as party leader, insisting that the former president is going nowhere.
“Those threatening Uhuru with withholding his retirement benefits should be alive to what the Constitution says. An Act of Parliament cannot be superior to the supreme law,” he said, dismissing recent assertions by President Ruto’s allies.
Mr Murathe, just like Mr Kioni, has dismissed the purported coup in the party as inconsequential.
“Did they appoint me? Was I named at State House or during the National Delegates Conference convened by the party leader at the Kenya International Conventional Centre (KICC)?” questioned Mr Kioni.
Like Mr Murathe, Mr Kioni insisted that the former Head of State is not about to hang his political boots, including the leadership of Jubilee.
“Jubilee will be in Azimio to the end. Uhuru will be in Azimio to the end. Those people should respond to the show cause letters I sent to them. Trying to lead a coup in the party will not succeed,” said Mr Kioni.
Already, Mr Kioni sent letters preferring charges against Mr Kega, proposed in an acting capacity to take over his post, Ms Chege, Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo and Eldas MP Adan Keynan.
The four are accused of disloyalty, advancing positions contrary to the party, and lack of respect for party decisions and organs.
“Nobody can convene the NEC except the party leader through the SG and a seven days notice must be issued to the 29 members. We saw 11 members converge in Nakuru, including Kega and Chege who are not even NEC members, purporting to make leadership changes,” Mr Murathe said.
The four, he said, will be taken through a disciplinary process that could lead to their removal from the party.Expelling an MP, however, has proven to be a tall order for parties.
De-whipping, though, is the easy part, and Mr Murathe says Ms Chege will be the first casualty to lose her seat as deputy minority leader when the House resumes on Tuesday.
“The kangaroo meeting is inconsequential. Let them read the party constitution on modalities of convening the NEC and the National Delegates Conference (NDC). Let them respond to the show cause disciplinary letters,” Mr Murathe said.
According to Mr Murathe, President Ruto’s end game in getting opposition MPs to join him is to remove term limits. “Soon they will initiate the process to change the Constitution, raise two-thirds in both Houses of Parliament to change the presidential term limit,” he said.
The Friday meeting in Nakuru was chaired by Mr Nelson Dzuya (Chairman) and attended by other Jubilee NEC members including Kega, Dr Naomi Shaban, Jimmy Angwenyi, Bonface Gatobu, Peter Mositet, Joshua Kutuny and Dr Rachel Nyamai.
“This is the first JP NEC meeting ever as per our constitution which says we should hold the meeting every four months,” said Mr Kega.
Other resolutions included that Jubilee would convene a special National Delegates Conference within six months. They also resolved to exit from Azimio and enter into cooperation with Kenya kwanza.
They also want Jubilee “recognised as a parliamentary party with all the rights and benefits as the third-largest party”.
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