• Tuju finds himself in the middle of a dirty war pitting two camps in the ruling party
• Jubilee secretary-general says he will not be cowed by people with whom he shares no views
Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju is a man under siege as squabbles and power struggles continue to rock the ruling party.
Tuju has found himself in the middle of a dirty war pitting two camps that are out to finish each other in anticipation of the 2022 election.
The seasoned politician, well-known for playing his cards right, could be expected to navigate out of murky waters with ease, only that, this time, the war has been waged by his boss, deputy party leader William Ruto.
The Deputy President on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Tuju, accusing him of working for his arch-rival, ODM leader Raila Odinga. Tuju in his reaction did not want to be drawn into the matter and said his concern at the moment is actualisation of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda.
Friendship with Raila
Ruto’s main worry is that Tuju is now working for the Opposition man, a person with whom the secretary general is enjoying newfound bromance following the March 9, 2018 handshake.
Raila and Tuju could not see eye to eye since falling out as the 2007 General Election approached. Before the hotly contested presidential election that year, Tuju had formed his own political party, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP). This came prior to the 2005 referendum vote to sway votes from the Orange team, which was opposed to the Wako draft constitution.
This was interpreted as defiance by people in the Nyanza region, who were overwhelmingly supporting Raila.
Tuju was elected MP for Rarieda constituency in the December 2002 election on a Narc ticket. He joined Narc, the then-ruling coalition, through LDP — an outfit that brought together Raila, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Vice President Moody Awori, and the late Vice President George Saitoti, among other key figures who bolted out of Kanu in the lead-up to the 2002 polls.
For many, Tuju’s appointment as minister in the first Narc Cabinet came as a complete surprise.
Thereafter, his opposition to Raila was seen as an act of betrayal in his backyard. Tuju had been successful in lobbying sponsors from overseas to support projects in the constituency. He built schools and introduced mobile clinics to help pregnant women access maternity services and decrease infant mortality due to malaria and HIV-Aids.
The mobile clinics were not just moving hospitals but peace caravans. His contributions made President Mwai Kibaki award him the second highest civilian title — Elder of the Golden Heart. He had served the people in areas of health, human development and public service.
Ironically, residents of Rarieda were still unhappy with him for dissociating with Raila. It cost him the Rarieda parliamentary seat, his development track record notwithstanding.
The loss spelled doom for his career but he was saved by Kibaki, who appointed him advisor in the Office of the President, a position he held for three years.
He was in charge of matters related to media and management of diversity, besides serving as special envoy for several missions.
In 2012, he unveiled the Party of Action (POA), a political outfit he intended to use to run for President.
He had been seen as a “Plan B” for then-Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta who was facing crime against humanity charges at the ICC.
Tuju later shelved his presidential ambitions. And when Uhuru took over in 2013, the two became close friends.
Party feuds
He was made Jubilee secretary general in the run-up to the 2017 polls. His closeness with the President paid dividends.
This clearly manifested last year when he was given a Cabinet post, albeit with no portfolio.
After the handshake, Tuju restored his friendship with Raila. This set him on a collision course with Ruto and his allies. The party he is steering has not had key meetings since it took over power largely because of succession politics and doubts over the consequences of the truce between Uhuru and Raila.
Two main camps, one allied to Uhuru and the other supporting Ruto, are fighting each other over succession politics.
Tuju has also come under fire from Ruto following a leaked tape that purportedly revealed plans to ouster the Deputy Party leader. He denied knowledge of the tape and termed it a complete fabrication.
When she was impeached, Nairobi assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi blamed Tuju for her woes. She took issue with Tuju for remaining silent and not intervening.
Tuju has also been accused by a section of Jubilee members of being partisan in decision-making. He has, however, maintained that he will not be cowed by people with whom he does not share views, urging leaders to concentrate on serving Kenyans and stop premature 2022 election campaigns.
Tuju has a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester, UK, and worked as a news anchor in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was a producer and director of several documentaries, radio and TV commercials for international agencies, and public and private institutions.
He later established Ace Communications Company, a firm that played a key role in producing documentaries that enlightened society on the HIV pandemic in early 2000. He won an International Emmy award for TV production.
(Edited by F'Orieny)