Jubilee needs Uhuru, he can't retire yet – ex-MP Nyokabi

Former Nyeri Woman representative Priscilla Nyokabi has said that former President Uhuru Kenyatta cannot retire when his party is in limbo.

Nyokabi said that even though it would be good if the former president retires from active politics, he needs to have the Jubilee party in order.

She said as things stand, only Uhuru can fix the problem ailing the former ruling party.

"But we might need to look at it differently now because the law is in context. It would ideally be good that he retires but then if your party is in limbo, party members refused to toe the line there is no other person, and unfortunately, I don't think there is any other person who can crack the whip," she said.

"He had to come back. It's almost like the party has called him from wherever he was."

Nyokabi who is the chairperson of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy also said she hopes Uhuru will settle the internal fights the party has experienced recently and leave in place systems that can solve any such issues that may occur in future.

"The sad thing about our politics is that it's almost like we are beholden to our party leaders. If the party leaders are not there to crack the whip we cannot exercise good democratic principles on our own," she said.

"I hope he comes, settles the party in terms of the two warring sides and settles the internal party systems. These fights should not come out of the party and the party systems should be able to contain it." 

Nyokabi said while the law says a retired head of state should not hold political office six months after leaving office, some articles of the Constitution allow him.

She noted that there must also be a process of succession which is in the party constitution.

"He's not the first to retire from office for example the Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has also retired from office and still leads ODM," she said.

There have been calls from Kenya Kwanza to have Uhuru retire from active politics.