Uhuru Kenyatta asks Jubilee parties to fold and join JAP

President Uhuru Kenyatta interacts with Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) leaders when he hosted a delegation at State House, Mombasa, on September 2, 2015. He asked Jubilee alliance parties to join the new party. PHOTO | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • The president on Wednesday said parties that are now part of Jubilee alliance should start gearing up to join JAP.

  • Mr Kenyatta made the announcement when he met 300 Jubilee delegates from Mombasa and tipped them on how to ensure a smooth transition to JAP.

  • The best way, he said, is to share JAP leadership positions among political parties that comprise the alliance.

The time has come for political parties under the ruling alliance to fold and pave the way for the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

The president on Wednesday said parties in the Jubilee alliance should start gearing up to join JAP.

Mr Kenyatta made the announcement when he met 300 Jubilee delegates from Mombasa and tipped them on how to ensure a smooth transition to JAP.

The best way, he said, is to share JAP leadership positions among political parties that comprise the alliance.

"Officials of every branch should comprise leaders from all the parties that make the main party,” he said at State House in Mombasa.

WOO SUPPORTERS

He urged the delegates to woo more supporters for the party and not to oppose the inclusion of people from other parties in government.

“We have good faith and that is why we give jobs to people from other parties,” he said.

The president said "politics is a game of numbers", and every politician should understand that there is no other route to winning an election but votes.

He asked the delegates to ensure the economy of Mombasa is turned around for the success of Kenya and the whole region.

“If Mombasa County succeeds, the whole country will succeed and the whole region will benefit because Mombasa is the gateway to the whole region,” he said.

HELP WOMEN

President Kenyatta also asked Coast leaders to help women and youth to get government tenders.

The first step, he said, is to educate women and youth on how tenders are managed and awarded.

“Of the money set aside for these tenders, not even a third has been spent. We want to see that money spent,” said the president.

Mr Kenyatta also warned those in charge of ministries and other government agencies to ensure women and youth are awarded their rightful share of government tenders.

“If you do not want to open the gates (for women and youth to government business), you will have to get out of the way because there are many other people who can do your job,” he said.