Uhuru calls Jubilee Senate Parliamentary Group Meeting

President Uhuru Kenyatta has summoned Jubilee senators for a Senate Parliamentary Group Meeting, in what party insiders say is Head of State's final push to put his allies in strategic positions in Parliament.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday morning at State House, Nairobi, starting at 8am.

While the agenda of the meeting is yet to be made public, it is believed that it is aimed at sacking Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Majority Whip Susan Kihika. The two are believed to be critics of the President.

PARTY LEADER

A short message text message from the President and seen by the Nation, invites a senator to a meeting that will start at 8.30am on Monday morning.

“I invite you for a Jubilee Coalition, Senate Parliamentary Group meeting at State House,” the text which was signed by the President in his capacity as the party leader said.

READ: Battle for numbers as Uhuru, Ruto flex muscle

The party has never held a PG since the 2017 General Election and lawmakers allied to the Deputy President William Ruto have often asked the party leadership to summon the meeting to give them an opportunity to ventilate on the many challenges bedevilling the ruling party.

One of the issues has been the March 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.

While Mr Odinga briefed his party’s National Governing Council on the details of the handshake, President Kenyatta never informed his party of the meeting.

ENGINEERED CHANGES

Last week, President Kenyatta finally carried the day in his war with his deputy over the control of the party when he successfully engineered changes to the National Management Committee despite contestations from the DP’s allies.

Dr Ruto rejected the changes, terming the move as fraudulent and attributed it to shadowy characters in the party.

The decision to summon the PG comes after the President carried the conflict with his deputy over the control of the Jubilee Party.

It had been expected that the President would summon a full PG bringing together senators and members of the National Assembly but it appears he has cast his eyes on the Senate because its leadership has been more rebellious and outspoken.

ATTACK PRESIDENT

Of all the Jubilee lawmakers, Mr Murkomen has been a major critic of the President, losing no opportunity to attack the President either on the floor of the House or on twitter.

The Elgeyo Marakwet senator opposed the decision by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to sign a deed of transfer, surrendering key functions of the county to the national government.

He later opposed the deployment of seven military to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

He alleged that the decision to go for the military was a proof of the President dictatorial tendencies.