Kimani Ngunjiri blames Jubilee woes on party leadership

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri speaks in Nakuru of May 25, 2020. PHOTO | CHEBOITE KIGEN | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • He blamed party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju and Vice-Chairman David Murathe for rocking the boat from within.

  • Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri claimed that the ruling party was undermining democracy in Kenya.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri has blamed Jubilee woes on its leadership and asked the party chiefs to accommodate positive criticism.

“The President should not be a dictator simply because he is being criticised. As the Head of State, to be criticised is the right of Kenyans and that is democracy,” said Mr Ngunjiri in a radio talk show at Nakuru based Radio Yetu.

PARTY ACTIVISM

He blamed party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju and Vice-Chairman David Murathe for rocking the boat from within.

“Someone like Raphael Tuju has turned out to be a party sycophant while David Murathe is no longer a party official. In the first place, who elected him?

“Mr Murathe is doing party activism and should not be listened to by anybody.”

He claimed that the ruling party was undermining democracy in Kenya.

“This hypocrisy has gone further and is now being used to undermine elected leaders in the party,” said Mr Ngunjiri.

On the future of the ruling party he said: “Jubilee has teething problems although dictatorship is creeping in the party but we are fighting it back …”

“We cannot lead this country through propaganda and intimidation,” said Mr Ngunjiri who denied insulting the president.

 “Anybody with a clip where I insulted the President should produce it and I will own up,” he added.

PROPAGANDA

“I’m a principled person since my days in Kanu and that is perhaps what is making people spread cheap propaganda that I insulted Mr Kenyatta,” he added.

In January, Mr Kenyatta accused Mr Ngunjiri of insulting him.

“Your MP has been abusing me. Did you send him to Parliament to hurl abuses at me? He should let me do my job while he concentrates on his duties,” said Mr Kenyatta.

On the sour relationship between the President and his deputy William Ruto, Mr Ngunjiri said: “If this marriage is over, the President should come out in the open the way he summoned us to Afraha Stadium and tell us he would support his deputy and we shall respect his opinion.”

He said that during the last Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting in State House, Nairobi, Mr Kenyatta told them to support Dr Ruto.

“What has changed? He has not told us anything on the contrary,” Bahati MP said.

He added: “Mr Kenyatta should exercise his democratic right and declare his stand and we shall respect his opinion.”

EIGHT MILLION

He said the eight million Jubilee supporters have not been consulted on some of the decisions being made by the party leadership.

He added: “Even President Kenyatta should know this party belongs to eight million people who should be respected …this political game will soon come to an end and party supporters will know the truth.”

He challenged the church leaders to reconcile President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. 

“Let the church leaders talk with the President and his deputy before things get out of hand.”

He blamed the handshake between Mr Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga for the turmoil in Jubilee.

“This handshake is the root cause of confusion in Jubilee party. Before the handshake Jubilee was a united house,” he claimed.