Tired of waiting for Uhuru, Ruto allies call for PG in Naivasha

The disgruntled camp of Jubilee politicians who are reportedly tired of waiting for President Uhuru Kenyatta to convene a parliamentary group meeting has decided to do it themselves.

The politicians, largely allied to Deputy President William Ruto's wing of the divided Jubilee Party, held the meeting yesternight in Naivasha. 

The group, famed as Tangatanga, will from the meeting make public their collective stand on the BBI, Jubilee Party and the 2022 General Election.

Organisers told the Star that they expect about 160 MPs for a conversation that will help cobble together a united position on the Building Bridges Initiative rallies.

An attendance list shared by the conveners on their social circles showed that about 130 MPs had confirmed attendance with about 10 others sending apologies.

The deliberations will be led by Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, and Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika.

Kuria told the Star they feel their party leader (President Kenyatta) is not interested in calling the meeting.

"That is why we have decided to do it ourselves. After all, our party bosses are not Members of Parliament so they do not have to be present,” the lawmaker said.

Proposals at the ongoing BBI forums — among them the creation of regional governments, expansion of the Executive and implementation of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission reports — were touted as the core agenda of the night meeting.

Jubilee has since March 9, 2018, handshake faced turbulent times, with its leaders Uhuru and Ruto pulling in different directions.

DP Ruto, for instance, has kept off the ODM leader Raila Odinga-led BBI campaigns.

Ruto is also sending mixed signals on the unity bid, which has the full backing of his boss.

The two Jubilee sides have also differed on the approach taken in the fight against corruption, key bills by the Executive, and management of government projects.

Ruto and his team have dismissed the BBI as a waste of public resources and time, hence the call to have a position on the same.

The team has equally defied their party leader's call for a 2022 political ceasefire to pave way for the Big Four agenda implementation.

During a December 4 meeting, the group resolved to back the Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji's team report as is.

Ruto and his backers are opposed to reopening the document for further amendments but agree to a referendum — once a point of divergence.

MPs intimated to the Star that at the meeting, leaders representing every region will present their proposals on the BBI.

The issues will then be synthesised into a memorandum to be presented to the Haji-led committee as the Jubilee Party's input.

Kuria said Jubilee Party is a constituency that represents millions of Kenyans and hence are only meeting on behalf of those elected.

"Members are drawn from all regions and they will be presenting their views which we will make public in the morning,” Kuria told the Star.

Jubilee MPs have continuously expressed concerns about Uhuru’s failure to convene the party’s parliamentary group meeting since his re-election in 2017.

“After consultations as leaders, we have decided that in order to pursue the original spirit of the BBI that we will participate and where necessary take charge of these public rallies,” Murkomen said.

On the 2022 elections, MPs who did not want to be mentioned said the party will propose the period when primaries will be held and deliberate on the succession agenda.

The lawmakers blamed the division in the party on the failure to hold the PG 'subjecting a number of issues involving Kenyans to uncertainty'.

Their cry is that their party leader has not sat with them "even to discuss his development plans, which includes implementation of the Big Four Agenda."

Kuria said the meeting would conclusively discuss party elections, which are scheduled to take place before March 29 as required by the party’s constitution.

MPs allied to the President have, however, been pushing for the postponement of the elections, saying the focus should be on delivering the BBI.

Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu is among those for pushing forward the elections, arguing that the BBI is the priority.

“The Jubilee Party's main focus at the moment is on the BBI report,” Ngunjiri said.

Kuria said the meeting would come up with the rules for the elections and probably the date since secretary general Raphael Tuju has remained silent on the matter.

“The secretary general should continue to run other affairs of the party like buying mandazis and paying the secretariat while we take charge of the elections and other roles,” he added.

Ruto has even attempted to coax Uhuru into summoning a PG but the party leader has ignored his calls.