More to join Tuju in Jubilee campaign

More senior officials to head President Kenyatta’s campaign secretariat will be named to team up with former Foreign Affairs minister Raphael Tuju, who will steer the team.

Nominated MP Johnson Sakaja said the creation of the campaign secretariat is under way.

“We have so many positions in the President’s campaign secretariat. All our members capable of delivering will be given roles to play there,” he said.

Some key members of the President’s previous campaign team were left out when the steering committee was named, raising concern among some of his diehard supporters.

Former TNA chairman Onyango Oloo, former Energy minister Davies Chirchir, an IT guru who spearheaded the President’s first round win in 2013, are among those left out of the new team.

But Mr Sakaja said that Mr Oloo will find space in the new secretariat to work under Mr Tuju who was officially named by the President on Saturday.
“There will be space for everyone who wants to work towards the President’s re-election,” he said.

But even if the former TNA boss is accommodated, his influence would have been significantly watered down by the coming of Mr Tuju.

Jubilee Party vice-chairman David Murathe, however, said the focus at the moment is the completion of the President’s term.

Some new party members expressed disappointment on the handling of the party’s National Delegates Convention, claiming it was underwhelming and merely diversionary.

“When we were invited, we thought we were coming to put in place new party structures and an interim office. How can the President call us to name his campaign team. Let us be serious, we are not happy,” said a senior Jubilee supporter from Kirinyaga.

Others also complained that the list by the President was quickly cobbled and comprised individuals who are also busy campaigning for various positions and will not concentrate on his campaigns on the ground.

In Nairobi the critics of the President’s team claim he picked individuals mainly from his ethnic community showing less interest in other city dwellers who may want to support his course.

Deputy President William Ruto has however said that every county will have a team to take charge of the President’s grassroots campaigns.

“There should be no worries. We will ensure everyone is represented. We will also form similar teams in every county with the mandate of spearheading the President campaigns on the ground,” said the Deputy President.