Failure to name officials brews anxiety among Jubilee Party members

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday failed to name interim officials of the newly formed Jubilee Party lending credence to reports of intense infighting over the slots in the ruling coalition.

Former officials of the parties that agreed to merge were left disappointed when he ended his speech at Nairobi’s Kasarani stadium without installing an interim office.

The Sunday Nation has learnt the decision was informed by concerns that a line-up said to have been agreed on before the event by the President and his Deputy William Ruto could have triggered discord among some of the 12 parties that closed shop to join the outfit, on whose ticket he hopes to secure a second term in office.

To some of the officials who were expectantly waiting for the announcement with the hope of landing some of the plum positions, Mr Kenyatta comes across as having failed to bite the bullet but the party leader’s advisers feel that was the best way out as he works out the ideal combination that will steer the affairs of the newest party at a crucial time when the country head to the general elections next August.

As things stand, only the party leader (Mr Kenyatta) and his deputy (Mr Ruto) are known.

Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi, who co-chaired the steering committee ahead of the merger, told the Sunday Nation a fortnight ago that Mr Kenyatta will name the temporary officials at the launch.

He said only the president and his deputy know who will take up the positions.

“They are keeping it close to their chests, there isn’t even a whisper about it but all officials from the merging parties gave an undertaking to accept any positions given to them. Not everyone can say become chairman, secretary-general or treasurer,” he said.

There has been intense jostling for the new positions with that of the secretary-general being the subject of most of the vicious fight.

Disgraced former Energy Cabinet Secretary Davies Chirchir has been fronted by those in Mr Ruto’s camp while from western, Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka - who led his New Ford-Kenya into the merger - and TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja are being fronted.

FIGHT FOR POWER
Each of the camps has their own reasons in claiming the seat.

TNA, which until Friday was Mr Kenyatta’s party, is also not left behind. Its members feel they need the position to protect the presidency.

Multiple sources in Harambee House annex — Mr Ruto’s seat of power — who spoke in confidence, say because the new party is primarily meant to propel their man to power once his boss retires, they must keep the seat which will be at the heart of the party.

While the Western bloc says giving them the seat will be a sign of confidence and good faith on which they will rely on to woo voters, the other smaller parties also want it as proof they have been fully adopted.

Majority of senior Jubilee politicians did not not want to speak about Mr Kenyatta’s move on the record.

“It is a weighty matter that the party leader didn’t want to rush over. It entails tricky balancing that could potentially clip JP’s wings before its maiden flight,” a chairman of one of the merged parties told the Sunday Nation after the fete organised at the Kasarani Sports Complex.

When asked about his opinion on the Jubilee Party interim officials, the former Chairman of the dissolved FORD People Party Albert Nyaundi said when they were concluding their role in the National Steering Committee, they unanimously agreed to leave that bit to the party leader and his deputy to decide.

“We will all accept whoever our leaders pick as interim officials, after all good leaders never get to Canaan. After their job is done, others take over to cross the community to the Promised Land,” Mr Nyaundi said.

NOT REPRESENTATIVE

On Saturday, the registrar of political parties Lucy Ndung’u confirmed that the new party was duly registered, although she could not give names of the officials.

“They (12 parties) merged into an existing party (JAP). They gave a notice to change their constitution, names, colours, titles and symbols so we believe they have done so,” she told the Sunday Nation.

In law, Mr Kenyatta will need to urgently convene a delegate’s convention to name the officials.

Weighing heavily on his neck will be the need to conform to the main objective of the new party that he says is to unite the country.

Pundits will point that as currently constituted, the leadership of JAP, which is the party transforming into Jubilee, is not as representative as the presidential duo announced yesterday and in previous occasions.

The officials of JAP, before the merger, were Mr Nelson Dzuya (chairman), Mr David Murathe (vice chairman), Mr Alfred Kipkorir (treasurer), Ms Pamela Mutua (organising secretary), Mr Nixon Korir (executive director) and Ms Veronica Maina (Secretary General).