Good morning fellow Kenyans,
It’s mid-week and the clean up within the Jubilee Party seems to be the biggest talking point at the moment.
The Secretary-General Raphael Tuju has promised no mercy for indisciplined members going against their fidelity to the ruling party, creating an environment for a messier purge with pundits asserting the move is meant to be a stumbling block to Deputy President William Ruto’s march to State House.
Drama is expected next week, June 2, after the party confirmed the DP had been invited to the Parliamentary Group meeting at State House where he is set to face-off with his nemeses David Murathe and Tuju.
What remains to be seen, however, is if the second in command will attend a meeting set to serve as a chopping board for more of his allies including the party’s deputy secretary-general Caleb Kositany.
While all this is happening, President Uhuru Kenyatta seems to be reaping big with several lawmakers, some fearing victimisation, now pledging their support to the head of state and others forced to apologise for lack of ‘discipline’.
Among them are five nominated senators who are now at the mercy of the party’s disciplinary committee after they skipped the first senate PG meeting which resolved to remove Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen and his Nakuru counterpart from the Senate Majority Leader and Whip roles respectively.
With President Uhuru seemingly ruling the party with an iron fist, it will be interesting to see whether he will fully win members’ loyalty and respect with the DP Ruto camp defiant and insisting they would not be coerced to sway their support.
Here are our top stories this morning:
Ruto’s Final Blow as Uhuru Unveils New NEC
President Uhuru Kenyatta will unveil a fresh Jubilee national executive council on Thursday, technically kicking out his deputy William Ruto from the heart of the party.
NEC is the nerve centre of Jubilee with sweeping powers to enforce party discipline and oversee the work of the party’s parliamentary group.
Virtual Madaraka Day Will be Packed with Entertainment and Documentaries – Govt
Kenyans will celebrate this year’s Madaraka Day from the comfort of their own homes as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho on Tuesday said the June 1 national holiday to commemorate the day Kenya attained internal self-rule will be held virtually and streamed through all media houses and social media platforms.
Uhuru Wants Ruto to Surrender
In all the changes taking place in our party, one of the key objectives is to finish Deputy President William Ruto politically by setting the ground to favour their candidates.
At this point we know these candidates are Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Jubilee Sec-Gen Raphael Tuju insists the purge is meant to bring sanity to the ruling party albeit focusing on DP Ruto-allied politicians. With another showdown expected during next week’s PG meeting, do you think Ruto will avail himself this time round after snubbing the first one?