• On the issue of Murathe saying ODM leader Raila Odinga is the best candidate to take over from Uhuru, Tuju said, "That is his opinion. Get the cue from the President. As Jubilee Party, we are organising ourselves. Let other parties organise themselves."
•"We have a party leader and what he says is the party's position."
Jubilee Party secretary general Raphael Tuju has played down the 'clerk' remarks made by Environment CS Keriako Tobiko against Deputy President William Ruto.
"If you are respected, you don't force people to respect you. He is the Deputy President. He doesn't have to stand up to tell people he is the Deputy President. If you are a minister, you don't need to tell people...they know you are a minister. Why should we spend so much time on this?" he said.
He said it was unfortunate the country was spending a lot of time discussing the matter yet the DP has many times referred to himself as the President's clerk.
Tuju said politicians must put aside their differences for the sake of peace in the country.
He spoke during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night.
Tuju went ahead to defend Tobiko, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe and his Interior counterpart Fred Matiang'i attending what appeared to be a political event in Kajiado last week.
He said CSs are exempt from the law banning civil servants from participating politics.
"The Constitution stops all civil servants except Cabinet secretaries," Tuju said.
The former Rarieda MP also reiterated that the party would conduct nominations to elect its presidential candidate.
Ruto, when campaigning with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017, rode on belief President Kenyatta would hand over to him when he retires in 2022.
But that appears to be far from reality as days go by, more so with Tuju's latest remarks.
"The Deputy President knows this and we have discussed it with him."
Tuju said he plans to meet the DP next week to iron out prevailing concerns.
On Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe's utterances against Ruto, Tuju said,
"Does Murathe speak for the party leader? Other members of the party have freedoms to articulate issues the way they look at them."
On the issue of Murathe saying ODM leader Raila Odinga is the best candidate to take over from Uhuru, Tuju said, "That is his opinion. Get the cue from the President. As Jubilee Party, we are organising ourselves. Let other parties organise themselves."
"We have a party leader and what he says is the party's position."