We have not opened Jubilee offices anywhere, Kiraitu says

Chairman of the steering committee that mediated the merger of Jubilee affiliate parties Kiraitu Murungi has warned that all the Jubilee Party offices already opened across the country are illegal.

He said the mushrooming offices mostly in the Jubilee strongholds with self-declared officials could destroy the party which is two weeks old.

“The trend must stop. It is creating a lot of confusion among the President’s supporters. The aspirants, MPs, members of the county assembly and governors should hold their peace,” he said.

On Saturday, Mr Murungi told the Sunday Nation that all Jubilee members were expected to undertake activities that will help the party attract more members and not the kind of violence witnessed last weekend in Embu and Kandara, Murang’a.

“The kind of indiscipline and disorder we have seen is not what the President and his deputy had in mind when they formed the Jubilee Party. All Jubilee supporters are asked to shun anybody propagating violence as a way of advancing their political ambitions,” he said.

Last week, supporters of Kandara MP Alice Wahome clashed with those of Samuel Kamau who wants to unseat her next year. It all started after the two politicians led their supporters in opening parallel JP offices. Police had to intervene to restore calm.

The amended Political Parties Act that now bans party-hopping has been blamed for the hard-tackle encounters already witnessed in Jubilee strongholds as aspirants try to outdo each other to clinch the party’s ticket. Whoever bags the ticket in such areas is almost assured of winning the seat they will be gunning for.

But Mr Murungi acknowledged that the situation had been compounded by the delay in naming of national officials as had been earlier promised.

He said that the unveiling of the officials has been put on hold since Deputy President William Ruto is out of the country.

COUNTY BRANCH OFFICES

“We want to apologise for the delay in creating national structures. You realise the DP has been away on official duty but he is expected back anytime now. As soon as that happens, we will hit the ground running,” he said.

The DP has been in New York, US, where he represented the President at the United Nations General Assembly.

“The officials will in the ordinary way organise and facilitate the creation of county and branch offices as the law requires. They will also preside over party launches in each of the 47 counties,” the Meru Senator says.

Intense jostling has been reported for the new positions with that of the secretary-general attracting more would-be suitors in what is believed to have caused the delay in unveiling the national line-up.

Ruto allies are said to be staking claim to the plum seat as the new party is meant to help their man secure the presidency in 2022 while Mr Kenyatta’s people say they need the position to protect the presidency.

Those from Western Kenya who dissolved their parties like Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka who led New Ford Kenya into the merger indicates that giving them the seat will be a sign of confidence and good faith.

Other than Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, who are the party leader and deputy party leader respectively, other officials are Nelson Dzuya (chairman), David Murathe (vice-chair), Alfred Kipkorir (treasurer), Ms Pamela Mutua (organising secretary), Mr Nixon Korir (executive director) and Ms Veronica Maina (secretary-general). It suffices to mention that they are officials by the virtue of being office holders of the original party-JAP.