Tuju dismisses claims of massive graft in Jubilee

Jubilee has dismissed claims by deputy party leader William Ruto’s camp that its officials were involved in squandering funds.

The party’s deputy Secretary-General Caleb Kositany, the defacto-spokesperson of Dr Ruto’s camp, claimed on Sunday that officials at the party’s Pangani headquarters in Nairobi were spending over Sh7 million on tea and snacks per month.

He said the DP’s supporters want the Auditor-General to audit Jubilee Party’s financial books, adding that there is massive fraud going on.

LAUNCHED INVESTIGATIONS

He disclosed that they had launched their independent investigations and would release the results soon.

But yesterday, Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju dismissed Mr Kositany’s claims as baseless, saying they are not worth their time.

Mr Tuju accused Tangatanga troops of seeking attention by making unsubstantiated remarks against the ruling party.

“In fact, if I was to respond to everything they say, I would have no life. I cannot respond to such claims by him (Kositany),” Mr Tuju told the Nation.

He went on: “These are people who will come with something new every day and if I respond to each and everything they say, I’ll not finish.”

Mr Tuju said Mr Kositany’s camp is only interested in making strange allegations for attention “to continue engaging us, but we won’t fall to that.”

Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny said Dr Ruto’s camp had become cry-babies. He said the party should move with speed to effect a purge on Jubilee officials to ensure that those maligning the party are gotten rid of.

FALSE ALARM

“The next thing that we need to focus on as a party is replacing Kositany as the deputy secretary-general because he has become a nuisance to Jubilee and is always raising false alarm,” Mr Kuttuny said. Mr Kositany’s assertions, he said, are desperate attempts to distract the party and its new leadership from delivering.

“We know their intentions, but that won’t distract us from the President’s agenda,” the MP stated.

His Nyeri Town counterpart Wambugu Ngunjiri said the DP’s camp’s objective is to smear the party as much as they can.

“They have tried to control and take over the party in vain. So what they are trying to do is to smear it in an attempt to destroy it, but they are in for a rude shock,” Mr Ngunjiri said.

He said Mr Kositany cannot run away from Jubilee affairs as he has been deputy secretary-general since the party was formed, and as such cannot flee from any ills committed during that time, if any.

“Kositany has been the DSG since the party was formed. Where has he been if the money was being swindled?” Posed Mr Ngunjiri.

DEAD END

The Nyeri town MP noted that Mr Kositany’s claims are a strategy for DP Ruto’s camp to give the party a bad name since their quest to take over it has hit a dead end.

“They are like men seducing a girl, but if they are unable to convince her, they start soiling her name. This is uncalled for,” he said.

On Sunday, Mr Kositany said Jubilee elected members pay Sh10,000 every month and that they now want to know how these funds are being used.

“Tuju and the team should publish for us their records in the local dailies. As deputy SG, I know I should be getting some allowance but someone might be earning it on my behalf. We want to know how we’re paying rent of Sh5 million per month and tea and snacks worth Sh7 million monthly,” Mr Kositany said. He maintained that they want the identity of mysterious individuals whom the party pays Sh67 million as annual rent for the Jubilee headquarters revealed.

Mr Kositany said they had been made to believe that the office space was a campaign gift.