Jubilee ties up loose ends as merger awaits launch date

Jubilee coalition parties will not merge yet despite the signing into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday of a Bill clearing the way for the political outfits to dissolve.

The parties are still working on the finer details of the fusion and plan to hold a delegates meeting to endorse it.

President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto will also need to study a report by a committee spearheading the formation of the single party.

The committee, chaired by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and former minister Noah Wekesa, said the earliest the merger could happen is the end of August.

The merger was put on hold after it emerged that the President, his deputy and governors belonging to parties affiliated to Jubilee could be rendered party-less if the law was not changed to accommodate the new outfit.

Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, a member of the steering committee, said the new party’s constitution was ready but would be adopted by members before it comes into effect.

“We are done with the constitution and the rules and regulations of the new party. What remains is to adopt them and this will take at most a month. In August we should be able to merge,” he said on Friday.

So far 13 parties have shown interest in joining the new outfit although others like Kanu have said they will have no part of it.

The parties that are ready to fold up are TNA, URP, UDF, APK and New Ford-Kenya.

Mr Murkomen said Jubilee members would not be forced to join the party. He also said the merger will not affect the agreements binding the coalition before the formation of a single party.

Meanwhile, ODM rebel MPs in the coast on Friday dismissed Cord as a failed coalition and told leader Raila Odinga that he would not rule the country.

The three MPs, who broke ranks with their party to work with Jubilee, said they would ensure Cord does not get votes at the Coast, which Mr Odinga says is an ODM stronghold.

Mr Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi North), Kwale County Woman Rep Zainab Chidzuga, Mustapha Idd (Kilifi South) and Federal Party of Kenya’s Peter Shehe (Ganze) were speaking at a function in Kilifi where Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki handed over Sh13 million to women groups.

Mr Iddi criticised Governor Amason Kingi for snubbing the event, saying "people need services whether by the national or county government".

He accused the governor of only attending functions presided over by Mr Odinga and “which in most cases are funerals and political rallies”.

“Raila will never win and this will be proved true in the next election. He has boasted that he has the Coast votes in his basket but let me tell him that he will be shocked,” said Mr Idd.

Ms Chidzuga said Jubilee would rule for another three terms. “What Jubilee has done is an indication of the love it has for the region. President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto’s flagship projects in the Coast are unrivalled,” she said.

Mr Shehe said it was time to reap from Jubilee’s goodies and support it because it had shown interest in empowering the coastal people.