• Ruto allies pile pressure on Tuju to quit over his dalliance with Raila.
• Tuju fires back that those with evidence that he is working with ODM leader Raila Odinga should follow the party procedures and file complaints.
Image: FILE
Jubilee Party secretary general Raphael Tuju has said he is simply working to deliver on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s agenda as allies of DP William Ruto piled pressure on him to quit.
Ruto and a section of Jubilee leaders have accused Tuju of working with “external forces” not only to share the ruling party's political strategy but to wreck the party from within.
However, in an interview with the Star, the former Rarieda MP said he is ready to face those making the accusations.
He said any member of the ruling party who has evidence that he using his position to promote the political activities of Opposition chief Raila Odinga should follow the party regulations.
“There is a laid down procedure of how to remove someone from office. Those with issues should at least file them with the party then allow me to defend myself,” Tuju said.
Tuju denied working for Raila saying he was in Siaya county over the weekend to commission development projects on behalf of Uhuru.
“I received a phone call from the President asking me to go and represent him. The only thing I did was to read the speech from the President. Now they want to impeach me because of that?” Tuju asked.
He added: “Initially it was Interior CS Fred Matiang'i who was to go but some changes were made. I was facilitated by State House.”
The projects were in Siaya county, Rarieda constituency and therefore the host senator and area MP would automatically attend, Tuju said.
However, Ruto’s allies are adamant.
Nyandarua Woman Representative Faith Gitau said Tuju has been captured by anti-Ruto's elements in government and is now being used to undermine the DP ahead of 2022 presidential race.
Gitau said Tuju must decide whether he wants to remain in Jubilee or join the opposition.
“He has no business being in our party if he has joined forces with the opposition to undermine the DP who is also our deputy party leader,” she told the Star on phone.
Sirisia MP John Waluke accused Tuju of taking advantage of the handshake between Uhuru and Raila to undermine Ruto.
Waluke urged the President to call a Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting to discuss “some of these cropping in-house matters”.
He said Raila is an opportunist who was now working hand in hand with Tuju to wreck Jubilee.
“We will not allow this to happen, we know how we campaigned for Jubilee to form the government and the parties that were merged,” he said.
On her part, Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara said what Tuju is doing amounts to a conflict of interest and asked him to relinquish his position as SG.
“If he is now comfortable working with Raila after the handshake, then he should just quit rather than advance his political agenda using his position in the party by sharing our strategy to please Raila,” she said.
Kihara said the handshake had done Tuju a lot of good but that should not be at the expense of the party.
On Saturday the DP accused Tuju of turning into a Raila strategist ahead of 2022 presidential race where Ruto and Raila are expected to face off.
“So our democracy is so liberal that the SG of the ruling party has become the chief strategist of the opposition!! Maajabu,” Ruto tweeted.
(edited by O. Owino)