Jubilee wars escalate as 12 MPs ask William Ruto to resign

What you need to know:

  • Led by nominated MP Maina Kamanda, the lawmakers said the wrangles in Jubilee Party stem from Mr Ruto’s attempt to sabotage President Kenyatta’s war on corruption.
  • Nyando MP Jared Okello said Mr Ruto has launched a war against the President, saying he is working in cahoots with a section of MPs from Mr Kenyatta’s backyard to disparage graft fight.
  • Kathiani MP Robert Mbui said those castigating the handshake and the fight against corruption are serving the interests of looters.

Several Jubilee MPs and three others from the opposition on Sunday asked Deputy President William Ruto to resign if he is displeased by the ongoing war on corruption.

The MPs, nine of them from Jubilee Party, two from Wiper and one from Orange Democratic Movement, accused Mr Ruto of openly fighting his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta by criticising his campaign to stem public sector corruption.

Led by nominated MP Maina Kamanda, the lawmakers said the wrangles in Jubilee Party stem from Mr Ruto’s attempt to sabotage President Kenyatta’s war on corruption.

The leaders, who were speaking on Sunday at Halleluiah Gospel Church in Banana, Kiambu County, included: Mr Jared Okello (Nyando), Mr Paul Koinange (Kiambaa), Mr Peter Mwathi (Limuru), Ms Mercy Gakuya (Kasarani), Mr Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Mr Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri), Mr Robert Mbui (Kathiani), Mr Stephen Mule (Matungulu), Mr Muturi Kigano (Kangema), and Igembe North MP Maoka Maore.

Twelve MPs drawn from Jubilee, Wiper and ODM on March 24, 2019 asked Deputy President William Ruto to respect the President or resign if he is displeased with the ongoing war on corruption. PHOTO | ERIC WAINAINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

'TANGA TANGA'

Nyando MP said Mr Ruto has launched a war against the President, saying he is working in cahoots with a section of MPs from Mr Kenyatta’s backyard to disparage graft fight with thinly-veiled attacks.

“If Ruto will not work with Uhuru (in fight against graft and unity), he should resign (from government) or we will remove him. We will not allow people to destroy what the President is building.”

“People (MPs) were elected in central Kenya (to support the President and his agenda) but they are not insulating him. Tell these MPs whose work is Tanga Tanga to quit so that the electorate can choose other leaders who will stand with the President,” Mr Okello said.

He singled out Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa and his Kiharu counterpart Ndindi Nyoro as some of the central Kenya MPs who are undermining the President and who favour the DP.

“Corruption has reached to a point where it should be fought with the vigour that we was used to fight for independence. Jubilee is no longer one, because if it were, we could be talking in the same voice as far as the fight against corruption is concerned but that is not the case because a section of Jubilee Party lawmakers [are undermining the President’s agenda],” said Mr Kamanda.

Minority Leader in the National Assembly and Kathiani MP Mbui said those castigating the handshake and the fight against corruption are serving the interests of looters, adding that the war has just begun and it has full support from the opposition.

“We ended the Nasa-Jubilee war. The war that we have now is that between the good people and looters of public money. It’s shocking that MPs from central Kenya where the President comes from are backing theft of public money,” he said.

Mr Wambugu said Mr Ruto has been accusing the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji and Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti of working with a “cartel” to target him in the war against corruption yet no one has mentioned his name.​