Crisis after crisis puts to the test Jubilee’s coalition bond

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto are facing the worst political turbulence in the life of their three-year-old Jubilee marriage.

The crisis in education caused by the teachers’ strike and allegations of corruption at the National Youth Service have not helped matters.

The biggest test to their unity in recent months has, however, been the International Criminal Court (ICC) case facing Deputy President Ruto — with recent decisions going against him.

The fact that President Kenyatta’s case was withdrawn last year is something that has not escaped the attention of URP politicians linked to Mr Ruto, who fear their man may have been left to his own devices.

On Sunday, Mr Ruto and several MPs supporting him are expected in Kapsokwony in Mt Elgon where special prayers will be conducted for him.

His aide Emmanuel Talam denied that the DP was set to preside over a Kalenjin only MPs meeting at his Karen home this afternoon.

“He will be in Kapsokwony and there are no plans for any such meeting today,” Mr Talam said.

'PRAYER RALLIES'

A series of “prayer rallies” have been planned — with two already held in Kuresoi and Ruiru — to demonstrate solidarity between URP and their political partners TNA, but multiple interviews indicated that these have not resolved the tension.

On Friday, Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who has had occasion to differ with the Deputy President, said the Rift Valley voted overwhelmingly for Jubilee to get both leaders off the ICC hook.

However, according to the governor, the President only opted to use his influence to dismantle his case and leave his deputy fighting alone.

“It is now close to three years and the DP is still tied at the Hague-based court. What happened, since we believed supporting the Jubilee coalition would end both cases?” asked Mr Ruto during a funds drive at Migingo Girls’ Secondary School in Kisumu.

The governor said they will convene a meeting of elders to weigh the options of supporting the Jubilee Government come 2017.

The funds drive was also attended by Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma, Cyprian Awiti of Homa Bay and Nyando MP Fred Outa.

“We are still seeking answers as to why the Deputy President still has a case at the ICC yet the President is now a free man. Why was he left behind?” he asked.

Indeed, some of the Deputy President’s supporters have in recent weeks suggested he should run for the top seat in 2017 to save himself from the ICC burden.

And the government’s decision to shut down schools around the country following a salary dispute with teachers has raised questions over the government’s handling of the matter.

Meanwhile, Cord is not making matters any easier by threatening a vote of no confidence motion against the President, which analysts warn could be taken over by opportunistic political strategists within the silently disgruntled government functionaries to pass a strong message — even if it fails in its ultimate objective.

As the country faces a crisis in education, President Kenyatta is scheduled to leave for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.   

“We are facing a serious leadership crisis as a country; the economy is doing badly and the leadership is not doing any better. How can you close schools and send 14 million children home? This is a wake-up call to all Kenyans,” said Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot.

'PERSONAL INTERVENTION'

Mr Cheruiyot questioned the handling of the teachers’ strike by the government and called for President Kenyatta’s “personal intervention” in the matter.

He warned that Kenya will become the laughing stock in the region.

He claimed that the government is planning to sack all teachers and then compel them to re-apply, but added that such a move would be unwise.

Mr Cheruiyot said that a vote of no confidence against President Kenyatta would not resolve the crisis in the country but he suggested that quick solutions are needed to rescue Kenya from its current position.

“What we now need is a national dialogue to talk about our problems and to walk out of them,” he said, echoing a line the opposition had pushed last year.

However, he said that the URP wing of the Jubilee Government was short-changed. “I am not a member of that club of Jubilee associates but it must be said that URP was short-changed.

“Many of our ministers are out in the cold while the TNA ministers are governing,” said Mr Cheruiyot.

He added that the benefits of the Sh25 billion National Youth Service budget were not being felt in URP zones.

A Rift Valley MP, who spoke in confidence, claimed that they had little sympathy for Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, who has been facing attacks from the opposition.  

But Mr William Ruto’s close ally, Kericho Senator Charles Keter, said that the URP-TNA relationship was firm, adding that none of the party’s MPs would be swayed into supporting Cord’s proposed vote of no confidence in the President.

“Our support for President Kenyatta is firm. When we have issues with him or his government, we will say it in the open. At the moment, there is none,” Mr Keter said.

He blamed the Teachers’ Service Commission for mishandling the dispute with trade unions, adding that President Kenyatta cannot be blamed for the closure of schools.

JAP

Even as the President and his Deputy are confronted by various issues, attempts are being made to resuscitate the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) whose formation has been described as a stillbirth.

JAP officials are now saying that the party will conduct grassroots elections after a deal to collapse TNA and URP is struck.

Veronica Maina, the JAP Secretary-General, said: “We are currently struggling to merge TNA and URP which is an exercise I have to admit is proving tricky and hard. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Mrs Maina, in an interview with the Sunday Nation, said that the only thing that is delaying grassroots elections is the merger aspect between URP and TNA. She added that the top two leaders were aware of the wrangles going on in the counties.

“I can assure all our members and Kenyans at large that we will hold grassroots elections to end the infighting within the party,” she said.

Mrs Maina said they wanted to make sure no one is left out or locked out of the party, adding that the top officials of the two parties were working day and night to reach an amicable arrangement that will not lead to the split of the party.

President Kenyatta and his Deputy Ruto have already declared they will use JAP as their party come 2017 when they will be seeking re-election.

Already there is infighting within the party in several counties which are perceived to be the strongholds of JAP.

Then there are quiet disagreements over the Cabinet where five Secretaries have been on suspension since March.

Three of them, Davis Chirchir (Energy), Felix Koskei (Agriculture) and Kazungu Kambi (Labour), are perceived to be allied to the Deputy President and there have been calls to return them to the fold after they were cleared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Suspended Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu, who is facing charges in court, has also been vocal in criticising alleged “favouritism” in the fight against corruption.

There have been several false hints that the Cabinet would be constituted soon.

 Additional reporting by Silas Apollo and Boniface Mwangi