Remarks by an influential Mt Kenya political operative and a close ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta that the Kikuyu community does not have an MoU with anyone regarding the 2022 elections has sparked an uproar in the Jubilee party.
The Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe made the remarks in Vihiga during the 39th Maragoli cultural celebrations held at Municipal Grounds, Mbale, in a move that has antagonised Deputy President William Ruto and his allies who are in the hope that the DP will take over from President Uhuru Kenyatta when he retires in 2022.
Three MPs from Kilifi — Aisha Jumwa, Christine Zawadi and Gertrude Mbeyu — have asked President Kenyatta to restrain Mr Murathe over his tribal remarks which are a threat to the handshake.
Kabete MP Kimani Ichungwa led a section of Jubilee MPs from Central, including Mr Antony Kimani (Mukurweini) and Mr Mwangi Gichuhi (Tetu), to dismiss claims that there exists no Jubilee MoU to support Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid. They were joined by Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri.
“The MoU exists between a leader and the voters depending on service delivery. In this case, we have a MoU between Jubilee members, our candidate William Ruto and the electorate,” said Mr Ngunjiri.
Their position was countered by that announced at the Kabiruini grounds in Nyeri where elders conducted a national thanksgiving ceremony and said there was no pact on Dr Ruto succeeding President Kenyatta.
Among the leaders present was Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and MPs Paul Koinange (Kiambaa) and Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town).
In Kakamega, the legislators said Mr Murathe was not their spokesperson. “The Kikuyu community will stand and support Dr Ruto because we agreed on this in 2013 when Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto started their journey to State House,” said Mr Kimani.
He said Jubilee members, in 2013, agreed to support Mr Kenyatta for 10 years as President who will then hand over to Dr Ruto for another 10 years, something that was repeated in several campaign rallies. “I don’t know why some people want to take us back when we completed our plan to lead for 20 years. As Jubilee, we are prepared as a national party with prudential candidates for 20 years and nothing has changed,” said Mr Gichuhi.