- Jubilee has decided to pull out of any further negotiations intended to complete the coalition process
- New officials “have exhibited hostility” by actively fielding candidates in areas outside the original regions covered by the cooperation.
Image: FILE
Jubilee Party has moved to end a provisional coalition agreement with the Party for Reforms and Development that has rebranded as United Democratic Alliance.
UDA is Deputy President William Ruto's political machine and the new move is a strategic move to make it "enemy party"
Ruto and his allies have always argued that Jubilee and UDA are coalition partners.
In a letter to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, Jubilee has decided to pull out of any further negotiations intended to complete the coalition process as envisaged in the Political Parties Act.
“This is to request you to take notice of the content of the letter and to put on record our revocation of the provisional coalition agreement lodged in your offices on May 6, 2018 that was never completed,” the letter said.
Jubilee said all PDR officials that were engaged in the coalition discussions have been changed and new officials “have exhibited hostility” by actively fielding candidates in areas outside the original regions covered by the cooperation.
“There being no harmonisation of our policy and vision, we have found ourselves as strange bedfellows especially with the UDA's use of their identity as hustlers which has negative dictionary meaning and connotation,” the party said.
UDA was formerly the Party of Development and Reforms but it changed its name as per the Political Parties Act.
The party symbol was formally that of a bull and was changed to a wheelbarrow.
Among its vocal supporters are Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and MPs Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Caleb Kositany (Soy), Nixon Kirir (Lang'ata) and the entire tanga tanga brigade.
Raphael Tuju said Jubilee's National Management Committee, after considering the prevailing political and legal hurdles facing the proposed coalition, found it improper and untenable to complete the formulation of the coalition.
The party added that members of UDA have continued to refer to Jubilee in derogatory terms.
Jubilee however said all members of the dissolved coalition holding leadership positions in the assemblies shall continue serving as such.
Last month, UDA announced several changes as it prepares itself for the 2022 General Election.
In a gazette notice, the Office of Registrar of Political Parties announced that UDA intends to change its constitution, some party officials and the location of its headquarters.
The party announced its new secretary-general would be Veronicah Nduati Waheti, who takes over from Mohammed Sahal. The secretary for international affairs would be Hussein Ada Somo. No one held this position before.
The secretary for devolution and inter-governmental relations will be Edward Kamau Muriu.
The party further said it would be changing its head office from Transnational Plaza, 9th floor in Nairobi's CBD to Sifa Towers, 6th floor, along Ringroad in Kilimani.
Tuju noted that in the run up to 2017 elections, Jubilee entered into a cooperation agreement with UDA in West Pokot, Wajir, Isiolo, Garissa and Mandera counties, in the run up to 2017 elections.
He said the party experienced challenges in clan-guided democracy in these areas. “The agreement did not include any other county,” he noted.
Under the requirement of the Political Parties (Registration) Regulations 2019 and the Political Parties Act Schedule 3(3), members of the coalition were to among other things deposit a formally signed agreement, coalition nomination rules, coalition election rules, coalition organs and functions as well as provisions for dissolution and dispute resolutions.
“…members did not move or have not met these requirements as is expected by both the Statute and the Regulations,” Tuju said.
-Edited by SKanyara