Kutuny: I'll not hesitate to endorse Ruto's removal

Newly appointed Jubilee deputy secretary general Joshua Kutuny has said he will not hesitate to endorse a motion to expel Deputy President William Ruto from the ruling party.

In an exclusive interview with the Star, the Cherengany MP  said while he is yet to be briefed on any plans to kick out Ruto, he agrees with those pushing for removal of individuals undermining the President.

Kutuny was on Monday appointed the new Jubilee SG —replacing Caleb Kositany — in what was seen as the final purge against pro-Ruto allies in the Jubilee executive.

Kutuny was a fierce  Ruto defender but this changed after the 2013 polls when he was appointed President Uhuru Kenyatta's political advisor after losing his seat.

“At the moment I am not aware of any plans to remove the Deputy President. I have not been at the centre stage of party matters . I do not want to speculate more on what the party has been having and what the party organ has been working on,” he told the Star in a phone interview.

He went on: “I am not aware of any disciplinary action (against Ruto) though I am in agreement with those who are saying that we need to crack the whip on these people who have been deliberately  undermining the party leader’s efforts.”

Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe had last week  stated that Kositany would be kicked out from his position in the  ruling party.

Murathe, the power wielding man who is seen to speak and act on behalf of President, also stated that the "eviction" of Ruto from his office was in the offing.

“The eviction party of the hustler mansion is loading—that one you can take to the bank. Very soon there will be an eviction party from the hustler mansion in Karen and I can assure you it is loading,” Murathe said during an interview with KTN last Thursday.

In his first media interview after the job, Kutuny said he is now awaiting directions from the party on how to deal with rebels within the party.

Jubilee is split into two factions,  Kielewke and Tangatanag oscillating around Uhuru and Ruto respectively.

“I am waiting for induction and to be updated and be informed on what the party has been planning against anyone who has been defying the President’s orders,” he said.

He accused the DP of being the source of acrimony in the Jubilee administration stating that the President has issued warnings to him to stop early campaigns.

Kutuny said the President is keen on fulfilling his election pledges but Ruto and his allies are undermining him from within.

“The President said let us dichotomise  these things into two- for about four years, let us work for wanainchi, concentrate on service delivery to the people and then he said the last one or two years, then we can now plan our political succession,” he said.

He added, “The DP negated on what had been agreed on and he started undermining the President from the onset . So, I would not say there is any deterioration in the relationship between the President and the Deputy President but I would say, there is deliberate attempt to undermine the Head of State and his efforts ”.

The two-time MP from the North Rift said  he does not fear political consequences that will come with  accepting to take over the position. He said Ruto allies who have so far been  removed in the purge orchestrated by Uhuru since last year had to suffer the consequences since they were no longer committed to party affairs.

Kutuny said the group was a source of inefficiency in the management of  political and government affairs both in and out of Parliament.

“We have experienced people who are undermining the party from within. We have had people who are good in name-calling instead of looking for solutions and at the same time popularising the party," he said.

"What we have been seeing from these leaders is a deliberate plan to destroy the party from within and that is the reason why action was taken against them.” he added.

He revealed that he will use his new role to “do proper coordination, build proper networks and open the gates and doors for supporters to enjoy the fruits of our party.”

Kutuny said they will now embark on rebuilding the once vibrant party.

“The political consequences can be either negative or positive but I think I am not new. During the formation of Jubilee Party, I was an ardent supporter of URP as a founder. Apart from being a founder, I was also part of the architects, who went to the drawing table to create Jubilee coalition,” he said.

“Then I later became an adviser in the Office of the President. With all that experience, I know where it started and I know where it is at the moment. I know the challenges that the party has been going through and we have the solution,” he pointed out.

-Edited by Sarah Kanyara