Kenya Insights

Tag: Jubilee Party

  • Uhuru Kenyatta Draws Battle Lines in Mt. Kenya Politics Defends Gachagua and Warns Jubilee Rebels to Toe the Line

    Uhuru Kenyatta Draws Battle Lines in Mt. Kenya Politics Defends Gachagua and Warns Jubilee Rebels to Toe the Line

    Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has waded into the growing political tension within the Jubilee Party, warning leaders against attacking Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

    Speaking during a Jubilee grassroots meeting in Murang’a, Uhuru condemned the abusive political tone taken by some of his allies, accusing them of promoting division instead of unity.

    His remarks come at a time when tribal loyalties are hardening across Mt. Kenya, with 2027 shaping into a fierce contest for the region’s political soul.

    Uhuru Kenyatta Draws Battle Lines in Mt. Kenya Politics Defends Gachagua and Warns Jubilee Rebels to Toe the Line
    Uhuru Kenyatta’s fiery defence of Rigathi Gachagua marks a decisive turn in Mt. Kenya politics, signaling his determination to reclaim influence and shape the region’s 2027 power game. [PHOTO/Courtesy]

    Uhuru’s Tough Warning and the Battle for Respect in Mt. Kenya Politics

    Uhuru Kenyatta, visibly agitated, accused certain Jubilee officials of engaging in online insults and factional battles instead of strengthening the party. “I’m saddened to see people on social media who pretend to defend the party by insulting Rigathi Gachagua and others,” he said. “I don’t want that nonsense in my party. People should do their politics respectfully.”

    He added that he would not hesitate to expel any member who continued to insult Gachagua or other leaders. “Before I hand over this party, if they continue doing so, I will call them out and send them packing,” he said.

    The former president directed his warning particularly at Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, who has been one of Gachagua’s most vocal critics. Uhuru urged Kioni and other party officials to focus on rebuilding the party’s grassroots base rather than attacking individuals. “Instead of wasting time insulting leaders on social media, go out and sell our agenda,” he said.

    Uhuru’s move is widely seen as an attempt to consolidate his Mt. Kenya support base ahead of 2027, when he is expected to back a presidential candidate capable of challenging President William Ruto’s dominance in the region.

    Mt. Kenya Politics Enter a New Phase of Realignment

    The former president’s remarks have reignited debate about Mt. Kenya’s political direction. With the 2027 elections fast approaching, local leaders are scrambling to position themselves around key power brokers. Uhuru’s public defence of Gachagua—once his fierce rival—signals a shift in alliances and a calculated attempt to rally the Kikuyu community behind a unified agenda.

    Analysts believe Uhuru is seeking to neutralize internal divisions that could weaken his influence in Mt. Kenya politics. By extending an olive branch to Gachagua, Uhuru aims to rebrand Jubilee as a mature political force capable of negotiating for power on its own terms. His comments also reflect his desire to distance himself from the perception that Jubilee is fractured and leaderless.

    The tension between Gachagua and some Jubilee officials stems from competing ambitions for control of the Mt. Kenya bloc. While Gachagua has been working to cement his grip on the region under the UDA banner, Uhuru’s allies have sought to counter that influence through opposition politics. Uhuru’s latest intervention, therefore, could be a strategic move to avoid a full-scale split that would benefit Ruto’s camp.

    Uhuru Backs Matiang’i and Hints at Broader Opposition Unity

    By aligning himself with Gachagua, Uhuru is attempting to reclaim lost ground among Kikuyu voters who shifted to Ruto in 2022. His remarks were not just about party discipline; they were about sending a clear message that the Mt. Kenya vote must be consolidated and respected. [PHOTO/Courtesy]
    During the meeting, Uhuru also endorsed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for the presidency. He described him as a hardworking leader whose record speaks for itself. “I have worked with Matiang’i, and I know his potential. His achievements during our administration are visible,” Uhuru said.

    He dismissed claims that his support for Matiang’i is based on personal loyalty, insisting it stems from competence and experience. Political observers interpret this endorsement as part of Uhuru’s broader strategy to build a formidable opposition alliance anchored on experience and national appeal.

    His remarks appear designed to send a message that his camp is organizing for 2027, with a possible Uhuru-Matiang’i axis taking shape. However, this positioning will require careful balancing to maintain unity within Mt. Kenya while also appealing to other regions skeptical of Kikuyu dominance.

    Tribal Politics Take Center Stage in Mt. Kenya Ahead of 2027

    Uhuru’s warning to Jubilee leaders also underscores the resurgence of tribal politics in Mt. Kenya. Despite public calls for issue-based politics, ethnic loyalty remains a decisive factor in regional elections. Uhuru’s defence of Gachagua—whom many in the region still view as a “son of the soil”—plays into this dynamic.

    By aligning himself with Gachagua, Uhuru is attempting to reclaim lost ground among Kikuyu voters who shifted to Ruto in 2022. His remarks were not just about party discipline; they were about sending a clear message that the Mt. Kenya vote must be consolidated and respected.

    Political insiders say Uhuru’s latest move could reshape alliances across central Kenya. If he manages to rally the region around a single political agenda, it could complicate President Ruto’s re-election path and re-energize the opposition’s push for unity.

    For now, Jubilee’s internal discipline remains a test of Uhuru’s authority. But one thing is clear: Mt. Kenya politics are once again at the heart of Kenya’s next great political battle—and Uhuru Kenyatta is not leaving the stage quietly.

  • Kioni: Gachagua is Secretly Working With Ruto

    Kioni: Gachagua is Secretly Working With Ruto

    Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has sensationally claimed that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is quietly working hand-in-hand with President William Ruto despite projecting himself as an outsider in government.

    Speaking on Hot 96 on Sunday evening, Kioni alleged that Gachagua recently convened a closed-door meeting in Narok County with about 15 local leaders, including members of the clergy, where he defended the controversial move by the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) to deny Joshua Ole Kaputa a ticket for the upcoming Narok Town Ward by-election.

    According to Kioni, Gachagua assured the gathering that Kaputa would be accommodated in future nominations as part of a wider deal he is striking with Ruto.

    “Gachagua told them William Ruto has already sent emissaries and they had agreed to first put their houses in order before sitting down formally. He said by then he would have seven million votes from the mountain, one million from Kalonzo and 800,000 from Matiang’i. He boasted he would control more than half the cake and share some with the Maasai community,” Kioni alleged.

    Kioni declined to provide further evidence of the secret pact but insisted, “He said it himself. I will give you the date and hour the minute I leave this studio.”

    The Jubilee boss dismissed any possibility of his party collaborating with Gachagua, accusing him of cutting sinister backroom deals while pretending to be politically estranged.

    “We would like to work with like-minded parties that actually believe in sending William Ruto home, not those advancing selfish ‘get your people and I get mine’ arrangements,” he charged.

    Kioni used the platform to rally young Kenyans to register as voters as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) begins a fresh continuous registration exercise targeting 6.3 million new voters.

    “You must register in numbers. It makes no sense to be an active critic of the government and fail to vote them out. Failing to register amounts to voting them back in,” he said.

    The IEBC hopes to raise the number of registered voters from 22.1 million to 28 million ahead of the 2027 General Election.

  • Is Uhuru Kenyatta the Architect of Broad-Based Govt? Jubilee Tells Raila to Own His Choices

    Is Uhuru Kenyatta the Architect of Broad-Based Govt? Jubilee Tells Raila to Own His Choices

    In the latest twist in Kenya’s heated political chessboard, Raila Odinga’s claim that former President Uhuru Kenyatta brokered a deal between him and President William Ruto has sparked uproar.

    The Jubilee Party has firmly distanced itself from Odinga’s assertions, slamming them as false and politically motivated.

    As the narrative of a broad-based government continues to unfold, questions loom large—who really engineered this grand coalition? Is Uhuru truly the architect of the so-called unity deal, or is he being dragged into someone else’s mess?

    Is Uhuru Kenyatta the Architect of Broad-Based Govt? Jubilee Tells Raila to Own His Choices
    The broad-based government project remains controversial. What was meant to be a bridge toward political calm is now a tool for political smears. It may help Ruto survive in the short term, but it leaves the opposition fractured and confused. [Photo: Courtesy]

    Jubilee Fires Back Against Raila’s Broad-Based Govt Claim

    Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni didn’t mince words during a fiery Citizen Radio interview on Monday. He dismissed Odinga’s remarks as a desperate attempt to paint Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee Party in bad light.

    Kioni firmly stated that neither Uhuru nor the Jubilee Party had anything to do with the formation of President Ruto’s broad-based government, a new political arrangement bringing together perceived technocrats from both government and opposition.

    “We do not agree with the narrative that Uhuru initiated the idea of ODM experts joining the government,” Kioni said. “That was their own making. It is not right to cheapen such a significant issue.”

    He further slammed the ODM leader for dragging Uhuru’s name into a political war that had nothing to do with the former President, branding the move as both unfair and misleading. Kioni also accused Raila of trying to escape accountability for his party’s controversial alignment with the Kenya Kwanza government.

    “If Odinga wanted to work with President Ruto, that’s his decision. But don’t involve Uhuru Kenyatta or the Jubilee Party. Don’t blame us for joining the oppressor,” Kioni fired.

    According to Kioni, Jubilee is focused on rebuilding its structures and playing a constructive role in governance, not indulging in political blame games. “We are working to strengthen our party—not chase shadows,” he said.

    Raila Claims Uhuru Brokered Dialogue with Ruto

    Odinga, in an exclusive interview with NTV on Sunday, had dropped the political bombshell. Speaking on record, the ODM chief claimed that it was Uhuru Kenyatta who nudged him toward initiating dialogue with President Ruto at the height of anti-government protests in 2023.

    “At that time, former President Uhuru Kenyatta called me from the United States. He told me, ‘I know you don’t want to talk to Ruto, but for the good of the country, try to find a way,’” Raila stated.

    Odinga explained that the call came when the country was on edge, with protests against the finance bill threatening to spiral out of control. He claimed Ruto himself later reached out, and they agreed to begin talks for the sake of national unity.

    But while Odinga maintains his ODM party only contributed “experts” to the cabinet to address national crises, critics argue the move blurs the line between opposition and government—raising eyebrows about loyalty, accountability, and the democratic process.

    Political Fallout Over Broad-Based Govt Narrative

    The political fallout from the broad-based government claims is already visible. Raila’s statements appear to have reignited tensions between former allies and rivals, dragging Uhuru Kenyatta into a debate he has so far avoided.

    Analysts say Odinga’s comments risk weakening opposition integrity while giving the Kenya Kwanza regime political cover. ODM’s decision to “send experts” into Ruto’s administration has been criticized as a backdoor alliance that contradicts their opposition mandate.

    Jeremiah Kioni’s response signals a wider rift between ODM and other Azimio coalition partners. While Jubilee seeks to reassert its independence and commitment to democratic accountability, ODM is now walking a tightrope between collaboration and co-optation.

    Critics argue that by involving individuals in the current administration, ODM has undermined its ability to effectively criticize the government. Jubilee’s rebuke serves as a warning: opposition parties must not blur lines so easily.

    More broadly, questions continue to swirl about the real architect of the broad-based government. Was it a genuine attempt at national healing? Or was it a strategic co-optation of the opposition by Ruto’s political machinery—with Uhuru now being scapegoated to deflect backlash?

    Who Benefits from the Broad-Based Govt Confusion?

    The key question now is, who benefits from the confusion? Raila appears to be hedging his bets—cooperating with Ruto’s administration through proxies while keeping a safe political distance. Meanwhile, President Ruto gains the image of a leader willing to unite the country, even if through tactical alliances.

    As for Uhuru Kenyatta, he remains largely silent. But Jubilee’s aggressive rebuttal suggests he wants nothing to do with the chaos. Kioni made it clear that Uhuru’s call to Raila was made in the spirit of national peace—not to broker political positions or influence appointments.

    The broad-based government project remains controversial. What was meant to be a bridge toward political calm is now a tool for political smears. It may help Ruto survive in the short term, but it leaves the opposition fractured and confused.

    Ultimately, Jubilee’s stance highlights the need for clarity. Either the opposition is working with the government or it is not. Blaming Uhuru for ODM’s choices only muddies the waters further.

    As the 2027 race looms, alliances will continue to shift—but voters will remember who stood firm, who wavered, and who blamed the wrong man.

  • Stanbic Bank Wins Battle to Auction Jubilee Party’s Former Headquarters

    Stanbic Bank Wins Battle to Auction Jubilee Party’s Former Headquarters

    A Nairobi court has given Stanbic Bank the green light to auction the Emani Centre, the former headquarters of the once-powerful Jubilee Party.

    The building’s owner, Florence Wairimu Mbugua, is drowning in a loan debt of Sh192 million. She blamed her financial troubles on a mass exit of tenants after the 2022 elections.

    Despite repeated pleas for intervention and promises of repayment, the High Court has ruled against her.

    Now, the towering office block that once housed Kenya’s ruling party is up for grabs in a public auction.

    Court backs Stanbic Bank's Bid to Auction Jubilee Party headquarters

    Court backs Stanbic Bank’s Bid to Auction Jubilee Party headquarters

    Stanbic Bank has finally secured court approval to auction the Emani Centre, located in Nairobi, after a long legal tussle with the building’s owner, Florence Wairimu Mbugua.

    Mbugua defaulted on a Sh192.2 million loan, which she had taken using the building as collateral. Her hope was that rental income from prime tenants—especially the Jubilee Party—would sustain repayments. However, her finances collapsed after the Jubilee Party and other occupants vacated the premises shortly after the 2022 general election.

    She argued that her rental business suffered a major blow and that she was trying to settle the debt by selling another property, Muringa Brothers Limited, which is still under subdivision.

    Mbugua’s plea to halt the auction fell flat in court. High Court Judge Peter Mulwa dismissed her application, terming it a repeat of two earlier requests made in 2022 and 2023. Both had already been thrown out.

    Stanbic Bank, represented by its manager for recoveries, Amos Mugambi, presented evidence that this was the third time Mbugua had tried to block the sale of the same property. The court found no new facts in her latest request.

    “All three applications seek injunctive relief, principally restraining the bank from selling the Emani Centre. The core issue in all the applications is the same—whether the bank should be stopped from exercising its statutory power of sale over the property,” Judge Mulwa ruled.

    Debt spirals beyond control

    Stanbic Bank told the court that Mbugua had failed to make meaningful repayments. The last update, as of April 2024, showed that she still owed Sh192.2 million, with Sh91.3 million in arrears—not including accumulating interest.

    Despite several warnings and periods of leniency, the bank said she had not lived up to her obligations. Stanbic stressed that the loan agreement gave it the power to sell the building once a default occurred.

    Mbugua, on the other hand, insisted that she was doing everything possible to avoid the auction. She claimed that delays in selling her alternative property were beyond her control and that she had already secured potential buyers.

    Still, the court found that this did not excuse her from her loan obligations or justify stopping the auction process. The judge made it clear that no fresh justification had been presented that could overturn the earlier court decisions.

    Jubilee Party Headquarters Now A symbol of political collapse

    The Jubilee Party once held power at the highest levels of government. Its former headquarters, the Emani Centre, stood tall as a symbol of its strength.

    Today, it stands empty and neglected, echoing the party’s political downfall after the 2022 elections. The party’s sudden exit from the premises triggered a loss of rental income that Mbugua depended on to repay the Stanbic loan.

    That exit has now come full circle—helping trigger the property’s forced auction. With the court’s final say, the building is now set to be sold off. Interested buyers are already circling, ready to bid for a piece of what was once a political powerhouse’s nerve center.

    As Stanbic Bank proceeds with the auction, the story of Emani Centre is no longer just a financial matter. It’s a potent symbol of how quickly fortunes—both political and economic—can collapse in Kenya.

  • Uhuru’s Jubilee Endorses Matiang’i As Party’s Presidential Candidate In 2027

    Uhuru’s Jubilee Endorses Matiang’i As Party’s Presidential Candidate In 2027

    As political temperatures continue to rise, realignments in the power tables continue to be seen.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party has revealed plans to support former Interior Ministry cabinet secretary Fred Matiangi’s bid for presidency during the 2027 general elections.

    Speaking during a leadership meeting in Narok on Saturday January 25, 2025, Jubilee party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni announced that the party’s flag bearer in the 2027 presidential elections is Matiang’i.

    Kioni expressed confidence that Matiang’i would easily beat President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.

    “We as the Jubilee Party have our own candidate, Fred Matiang’i. He will face off with the others to ensure Ruto goes home,” Kioni stated.

    “If we all agree to come together and vote, Ruto will not win even if he appoints Kimani Ichung’wah or Kamket as IEBC Chairperson,” he added.

    The Jubilee Party endorsement comes amid speculations that the former Interior Ministry CS, was planning to contest for the presidency in 2027.

    Jubilee party secretary general Jeremiah Kioni

    At the same time, the Jubilee party secretary general urged Kenyans to embrace minority communities, asking the Mount Kenya Region to support a candidate from another community for the presidency.

    “We want a President from a small community. Let us step aside and let someone else in. Let us unite and vote as one,” he said.

    His sentiments were echoed by Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka, who  also announced his endorsement for Matiang’i, emphasizing that the county should produce a presidential candidate in 2027.

    “We know that Matiang’i is going to win but he cannot do it alone. We are going to talk to everybody. We will talk to Kalonzo, Gachagua, Uhuru and Raila for support,” said Senator Onyonka.

  • Uhuru dumping is the peculiar thing with 2022 politics

    Uhuru dumping is the peculiar thing with 2022 politics

    The race to 2022 elections began taking shape after the infamous handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the opposition chief Hon. Raila Odinga. Events that followed the handshake exposed Uhuru’s betrayal of his deputy, Dr. William Ruto whom he had promised to back upon expiry of his term.

    Jubilee purge was the core of it all where the president directed that all politicians allied to his deputy be kicked from party leadership and parliamentary committees. The purge went on further with futile attempts to even kick out Ruto from the DP position or to push him resign but they only succeeded in uprooting him as the deputy leader of the ruling Jubilee party.

    Ruto’s position was taken by little known Jimmy Angwenyi months after he had moved on and formed United Democratic Alliance (UDA Party) where he is the boss and has beaten Jubilee in many by-elections.

    But despite the onslaughts targeting Ruto allied politicians and raw abuse of power where police and bodies like Kenya Revenue Authority and Ethics and Anti Corruption Commissions have been used to intimidate UDA politicians, the DP’s camp has interestingly attracted the president’s foot soldiers.

    Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi is the latest top leader from the President’s backyard to join Kenya Kwanza Alliance where Ruto is a top presidential contender.

    Muturi who recently joined Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka in Kenya Kwanza had received the president’s backing prior to his coronation as Mt. Kenya Spokesperson in May last year.

    His coronation was touted as a cultural event but had a huge impact on power and succession politics in the President Uhuru’s turf. The endorsement as GEMA spokesman boosted his political ambitions and he has carried it all to the Deputy President’s camp where he can negotiate for a running mate position.

    It gave him all the guts to cast his political net beyond his Mt Kenya East region and try to forge the next direction for politics in the entire Mt. Kenya region.

    “The idea is to be able to reach out to everybody and bring in as much as possible through persuasion, consultation and discussion. I am capable of carrying out the responsibilities elders will bestow on me” Muturi said.

    And more interestingly, even Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru who was initially opposed to Muturi’s endorsement as the regions kingpin had shifted her allegiance from President Uhuru Kenyatta whom she dump for DP William Ruto.

    They have tried to intimidate Waiguru through attempts to revive her corruption cases but with no success. She told off the president in one of the dailies that she has moved on and is comfortable in UDA, leaving Azimio old guards to settle for washed out politicians like Martha Karua and Kitui’s Charity Ngilu who is likely to lose her gubernatorial seat.

    But even prominent politicians from the President’s home county of Kiambu have dumped him for William Ruto. Hon. Moses Kuria of Gatundu South is in Kenya Kwanza, Kiambu Women rep Gathoni wa Muchomba dumped Uhuru’s Jubilee Party for DP’s UDA, former Kiambu governors Ferdinand Waititu and William Kabogo are all in Ruto’s camp. Kiambu speaker and more than twenty MCAs have also expressed their support for UDA and Ruto’s bid.

    The situation is the same in neighboring Murang’a County where Senator Irungu Kang’ata who is poised to be the next governor is dining with Ruto. The vocal Kandara MP Alice Wahome is with Ruto and so is Hon. Ndindi Nyoro of Kiharu Constituency.

    Nyeri Governor Kahiga Mutahi, Nyeri County Assembly Speaker and a host of MCAs have publicly expressed their support for DP’s UDA party and his bid for presidency in the August polls.

    A top Kenya Kwanza principal and ANC Party Leader H.E Musalia Mudavadi has joked that Uhuru will one day wake up and find that his bodyguards have deserted him.

     

     

     

  • Ruto Harshest Government Critic, New Survey Shows

    Ruto Harshest Government Critic, New Survey Shows

    Deputy President William Ruto has emerged as the fiercest critic of a government he played a key role in its formation only four years ago.

    An opinion poll released on Wednesday indicated that most Kenyans now believed the DP was the leading voice against the Jubilee government even though he had a hand in the appointment of a number of those occupying various top positions.

    The poll released by Tifa Research found that Ruto had moved ahead of the official opposition leader Raila Odinga and his counterparts, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and Wiper counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka in checking the ruling administration.

    Active leader

    From the study with a sample of 1,519 respondents, 34 per cent of Kenyans saw the DP as the fiercest critic followed by Raila at 24 per cent with 18 per cent not sure who is the country’s opposition leader.

    “Asked to name the most active leader in terms of criticising the government, Ruto received considerably more mentions than the official leader of the opposition, Raila, a clear reflection of the current reality,” the pollster found.

    The respondents were from the Central Rift, Coast, Lower Eastern, Mt Kenya, Nairobi, Northern, Nyanza, South Rift and Western.

    Since the Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila in March 2018, the DP has largely been elbowed out of the government as the Head of State has preferred working with the ODM leader after entering into a truce following the 2017 post-elections dispute.

    As Raila’s influence has grown in the ruling administration so has the DP’s dissipated.

    Ruto was the face of the opposition to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) when all the leading politicians threw their weight behind it. The Initiative that aimed at amending various sections of the Constitution, including the expansion of the Executive, was a product of the handshake.

    Supreme Court

    The BBI Bill was passed by over 40 county assemblies and both Houses of Parliament, only to be thrown out by the courts before it proceeded further for constitutional breaches. It is presently before the Supreme Court.

    His vocal allies were also kicked out of key posts in Parliament as infighting within the ruling government escalated. They were accused of associating with the DP.

    Ruto’s growing criticism has attracted the anger of the President and his allies who have accused him of using state resources to fight the government he is part of. Recently, the President asked him to resign if he didn’t feel the government was in the wrong. The DP has often rejected the calls to quit saying he was legitimately elected and will service his full term.

    At the same time, his United Democratic Alliance remains the most popular party with eight months to the 2022 elections. The poll found that 30 per cent of Kenyans aligned with UDA while 16 per cent associated with ODM, Raila’s party.

    Jubilee came third with 5 per cent, ANC, Wiper, Ford-Kenya and OKA all had one percent support. A huge 40 per cent did not align with any party showing how undecided Kenyans were just a few months to the polls. Most of those aligned to UDA decamped from Jubilee, followed by ODM, Wiper and Kanu.

    More than half of Kenyans also believe the state machinery to influence the next elections with 56 per cent agreeing government resources will be deployed to influence voters. Among these, UDA supporters were the majority followed by ODM and Jubilee.

  • Jubilee purge targeting Tuju, Dzuya

    Jubilee purge targeting Tuju, Dzuya

    The recent loss in the Kiambaa by-election has triggered a heated blame game in Jubilee party, with top officials directing accusing fingers at the bureaucrats from the Office of the President who hijacked the campaigns and control of cash.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta’s civil service advisers are said to have waged supremacy wars, took over the campaigns and bullied campaign managers during the run up to the humbling loss.

    The jubilee team appeared shambolic and rudderless to effectively hit the ground to popularize Kariri Njama who was beaten by UDA’s John Njuguna Wanjiku.

  • Uhuru blocks move to eject Ruto

    Uhuru blocks move to eject Ruto

    President Uhuru Kenyatta has neutralized the spirited move by his allies to eject Deputy President William Ruto as the Jubilee deputy party leader. Kenyatta pulled the surprise move as the National Management Committee-the second most powerful organ with sweeping powers-meets review their decision.

    The NMC is expected to reverse its earlier decision to have Ruto ejected as the deputy party leader of the ruling Jubilee party. The committee recommended the removal of Ruto and was only awaiting ratification by the National Executive Committee this week but NMC is today expected to drop Ruto’s ejection after President Kenyatta intervened.

    Reliable sources revealed to KI that the President is not keen on having Ruto stripped of his powers as the Jubilee deputy leader although he has technically walked out and running the affairs of UDA Party.

    But the move eject Ruto from the Jubilee Party leadership was expected to face legal challenges since the party’s Constitution provides that the deputy president automatically assumes the role of the party’s deputy leader.

    Besieged: DP Dr William Ruto [p/courtesy]
    Jubilee’s second termed has been marked with waves of purges that have routed out politicians allied to the deputy president. Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata was fired from his Majority Whip seat in early 2021 days after nominated senator Isaac Mwaura also ditched the president for Ruto’s Tangatanga.

    Many had also been kicked out last year including the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who was the majority leader, former committee chairs John Kinyua (Devolution), Samson Cherargei (Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC)), Christopher Lagat (Education) and Mithika Linturi (vice chair JLAC).

    But efforts to eject DP Ruto as Jubilee deputy party leader has left the ruling party divided right in the middle with a section of members of the powerful NMC piling pressure on party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta to convene  a meeting on Tuesday this week to proceed with the ouster.There is also another faction that has adopted a wait-and-see approach.

     

  • Oscar Sudi: Uhuru And Ruto’s Friendship Is Fake

    Oscar Sudi: Uhuru And Ruto’s Friendship Is Fake

    Oscar Sudi, the Kapsiret MP and self proclaimed Ruto’s spokesperson has now claimed that Uhuru and Ruto’s political friendship is a bluff.

    According to the vocal DP ally, currently President Kenyatta is unable, rather unfit, to lead the country.

    “Apparently, the relationship between the President and his deputy is like of a man and a woman who are married, but sleeping in different houses an indication that the union is over. Kenyans should not be cheated to believe they are still in good terms,” Sudi said.

    Sudi said Ruto’s claims that President Uhuru and him enjoy a cordial bond are fake and a blatant lie to any sobber being.

    “It is obvious there is no bromance still existing in the Presidency as it was before. All this has been fueled by succession politics and the fight pitting dynasties and hustlers. President Kenyatta should hand over power to someone else,” Sudi said.

    According to Sudi, DP Ruto knows that he no longer has the Jubilee’s administration respect nor President’s ear.

    “If you see Senators and Governors on the streets demonstrating over an issue that would have otherwise be solved then there is a big problem,” Sudi said.

    On Sudi’s opinion, things are not good anymore and the centre cannot hold anymore.

    According to Sudi, Uhuru’s close relationship with DP Ruto has ended, rather vanished, and the duo are now engaging in a fake political union.

    Well, on my opinion, Sudi might be right. Everyone can clearly see that Jubilee is no longer a united front like they initially were in the last two Presidential campaigns.

    According to Sudi, Ruto should accept what has befell him and urged him to stop pretending over his relationship with the President because no one can believe it anymore.

    Sudi alleged that President Uhuru has now started turning against his own friends and supporters in Jubilee and is using state entities to sacrifice them in the name of fighting corruption.

    Sudi said, In a press conference held at his home in Eldoret, that he would make a better interim President that’s if Uhuru would step down for him.

    Sudi’s full Press:

    “Within three months, I can do better. I will get a deputy like Moses Kuria and we will perform better.” Sudi said.

    Oscar Sudi alleged that Uhuru is now engaging in sideshows in the name of ‘war on graft’ to bluff the country because his Big Four agenda have failed.

    According to Sudi, President Uhuru’s family wealth is not only unrealistic but also ill-gotten to an extent that the head of state has to offer “innocent sacrificial lambs” to the Nation for him to prove that he’s in charge.

    According to Sudi, President Uhuru is corrupt and, is instead, terming others as corrupt.

    Sudi stated that Kikuyus and Kalenjins were paying a heavy price for backing Uhuru and Ruto’s political journey.

    According to Sudi, the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal is a political gimmick by Uhuru and state entities.

    “They wanted the two projects to collapse and I can now assure our people that Arror and Kimwarer are dead projects.” Sudi said.

    “I have asked the President to forgive Kalenjins if we offended him but now I have to speak the truth.” Sudi added.

    Sudi urged the President, if he won’t step aside for him, to bring his house together and solve their own problems with Ruto privately without involving the entire nation.

  • Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips Admits To Working With Cambridge Analytica For Uhuru In Mudslinging Raila

    Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips Admits To Working With Cambridge Analytica For Uhuru In Mudslinging Raila

    Alexandra Phillips, the former head of media for Ukip and a vocal member of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party has admitted to have secretly worked for Uhuru Kenyatta.

    Ms Phillips made the admission to Channel 4 News after initially denying any involvement with Cambridge analytica and SCL that was used to mudslign Raila.

    According to Channel 4 News, Ms Phillips accepted after a recording of an interview from 2017 surfaced online in which Alexandra confirms she had been employed by Cambridge Analytica to work for Uhuru Kenyatta, the current President of Kenya.

    According to a statement released to International media, Ms Phillips admitted to have worked for SCL, Cambridge Analytica’s parent company, on President Kenyatta’s successful re-election campaign.

    Cambridge Analytica Bosses were filmed by undercover investigators last year exposing the disgraced data firm’s dirty tricks and influencing elections globally.

    Analytica Bosses were caught on camera chest thumbing about their smear campaigns, bribing politicians, putting unattributable and untraceable propaganda on the Internet Search engines in a bid to sway campaigns for their political clients.

    In 2017, Kenyan election contest between Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta was full of misinformation and massive fake news were spread across the country via the Internet and on smartphones.

    Cambridge Analytica’s SCL, which was working as Uhuru’s campaign team smeared Raila Odinga with a series of viral videos which were notoriously depicting apocalyptic scenes for Kikuyu’s if, at all, Raila was to win the election.

    The notorious Cambridge Analytica have been facing accusation from every country they’ve worked for or with and have been unsuccessfully denying their involvement with the content, and any role in negative political campaigns in Kenya.

    Ms Phillips, in the past interview, had initially denied working for Cambridge Analytica nor being in contacy or knowing anyone on their political campaign team.

    “I didn’t work for them at all. That’s libellous. I’m being very serious now. You’re actually propagating a load of misinformation that’s been put online… based on nothing.” Ms Phillips said in an interview.

    “If you want to talk about the Cambridge Analytica campaign, speak to them, not me. I don’t know them. I really don’t know the people.” she insisted.

    Ms Phillips had also threatened investigator that she will sue them.

    “And if you use this online, it’s going to be very difficult, OK… And actually, please don’t pursue that because there’s going to be a lot of things that might be happening over the next weeks, months, which is going to make life very difficult. I’m being serious. I’ve never been employed by Cambridge Analytica in my life.” She ranted on an interview.

    However, an audio recording in possession of Channel 4 News has Alexandra admitting she was secretly employed by Cambridge Analytica to work for President Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party which was alleged to have swayed and rigged the elections in favour of Uhuru.

    She’s recorded saying “I’ve not been able to speak to you because I’ve been under my contract which finished yesterday. So now I’m able to talk. But whilst I’m under contract with Cambridge Analytica, if they’d found that I’d spoken to a journalist about them, then, you know what I mean non-disclosure agreements and all the rest of i… I wasn’t working for Jubilee I was employed by Cambridge Analytica who had the contract with Jubilee.”

    “I was brought on as a political communications consultant for the Kenya project. I’d be writing the president’s speeches and his talking points for rallies and State House statements. I trained their communications team; they’re all sort of journalists who came together to create a press office. So I had to train them up and daily management of that communications team.” She added

    SCL’s contract with Jubilee was so sensitive such that Ms Phillips was told to always say she’s working as an air hostess if anyone would ever ask what she was doing in Kenya.

    Ms Phillips had also claimed SCL’s contract with Jubilee was worth £300,000 a month and would add up to a total of around $6 million for the contract

    “The $6m they got me and another chap who are two of the best in the business at doing this kind of stuff, and paid us nowhere near that much, my friend. The only thing that appals me about Cambridge Analytica was when I realised essentially how much of a money-making exercise they are.” Ms Phillips said.

    Ms Phillips issued a statement last night admitting Cambridge’s involvement in Swaying voters and rigging for Jubilee’s candidate while distancing herself from SCL’s under deals.

    “In Kenya, I worked as a freelance contractor focusing on speechwriting with the team of President Kenyatta, who is a great ally of the UK. The campaigns I worked on promoted peace and national unity in a country that I love dearly.” Read part of Ms Phillips statement.

    “This work was sub-contracted out to me by SCL, which went on to become a different company. Out of respect for those whom I served, I will continue to respect the confidentiality agreements that I signed upon accepting the role in Kenya.” She insisted.

    Alexandra also insisted that she will not be bullied by agenda-driven and guilt-by-association reporting that has vilified her name.

  • Ruto And His Allies Want To Eject Raphael Tuju From Jubilee

    Ruto And His Allies Want To Eject Raphael Tuju From Jubilee

    Deputy President William Ruto and his allies have turned their ‘guns’ to Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju and want to see him out.

    Ruto’s allies have accused Tuju of working and sharing Jubilee’s political strategy with Former Prime minister Raila Odinga.

    On his defense, The former Rarieda MP, Raphael Tuju rubbished Ruto’s accusations saying that he is simply working to deliver on President Kenyatta’s Agenda.

    In an interview with a local press, Tuju said Ruto and his allies should follow party regulations if they have enough evidence to eject him.

    “There is a laid down procedure of how to remove someone from office. Those with issues should at least file them with the party then allow me to defend myself,” Tuju said.

    According to Tuju, he was in Siaya county over the weekend to commission development projects on behalf of Uhuru and had nothing to do with Raila.

    “I received a phone call from the President asking me to go and represent him. The only thing I did was to read the speech from the President. Now they want to impeach me because of that?” Tuju asked while on an interview with a local press.

    “Initially it was Interior CS Fred Matiang’i who was to go but some changes were made. I was facilitated by State House.” Tuju added.

    “The projects were in Siaya county, Rarieda constituency and therefore the host senator and area MP would automatically attend” Tuju said.

    On Ruto’s side, his political allies have vowed to eject Tuju.

    Faith Gitau, Nyandarua Woman Representative said Tuju is operating under instructions of ‘anti-Ruto’ figures in government and allegedly being used to undermine Ruto’s 2022 Presidential race.

    “He has no business being in our party if he has joined forces with the opposition to undermine the DP who is also our deputy party leader,” Ms Gitau told a local press.

    Another Ruto’s ally John Waluke, the current Sirisia member of Parliament has accused Tuju of taking advantage of the handshake between Uhuru and Raila to undermine Ruto.

    “Raila is an opportunist who is working closely with Tuju to wreck Jubilee. We will not allow this to happen, we know how we campaigned for Jubilee to form the government and the parties that were merged,” Waluke said.

    Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara said that Tuju is is compromised and can no longer be trusted as SG.

    “If he is now comfortable working with Raila after the handshake, then he should just quit rather than advance his political agenda using his position in the party by sharing our strategy to please Raila,” Ms Kihara said.

    “Tuju should stop undermining the unity of our party from within,” said Kapondi.

    “It is very unfortunate that the Secretary General of Jubilee can talk and plan how to incite communities. This is unbelievable,” said Pukose.

    “You cannot be a Secretary General of a party that formed the Government and you are engaging in divisive politics. I tell Raphael Tuju that if you want to engage in divisive politics, you are in the wrong place,” said Didmus Barasa.

    Kapseret MP and the self proclaimed Ruto’s Spokesman Oscar Sudi, accused Tuju and former Vice Chairman David Murathe of having become a liability to Jubilee Party.

    “Tuju and Murathe are rejects who should be removed from the party through elections,” Sudi told a local press.

    “We brought Tuju into Jubilee, not because he had any support, but because we wanted to create a national face for the party. He is now baggage and should be removed,” Sudi added.

    On Saturday, DP Ruto shared a tweet accusing Tuju of turning into a Raila strategist ahead of 2022 Presidential polls.