Jubilee Party’s second most powerful organ has recommended the removal of William Ruto as the party’s deputy leader. The final decision lies with a party organ which Uhuru Kenyatta chairs.
Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju yesterday told journalists that the National Management Committee (NMC) made the bold decision and forwarded its recommendation to the National Executive Council (NEC) chaired by Uhuru Kenyatta, the party leader.
“The NMC discussed and resolved to remove the deputy president as per the party constitution…we are only awaiting the party leader to convene a NEC meeting to make the final decision,” said Tuju on Tuesday, March 16.
The move comes following months of accusations by Uhuru’s allies in Jubilee that William Ruto has been sabotaging the party from within.
They have also faulted the deputy president’s association with the United Democratic Party, a newly formed party with heavy links to William Ruto ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Ruto’s close allies have however dismissed the move, arguing that Jubilee Party officials have no legal grounds to dismiss the former Eldoret North MP from the party.
MPs Caleb Kositany (Soy), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale hold that the current Jubilee officials are illegally in office after their interim term expired and cannot thus make the decision to oust Ruto.
“The problem with Jubilee is that it stopped following the law and any changes they have done including in the National Assembly and Senate were done in sheer violations of the law,
“The National Management Committee has no powers to remove the DP (Ruto). That decision can only be done by the National Delegates Committee (NDC). Even NEC, chaired by Uhuru has no such powers,” said Nandi Senator.
Kivumbi.co.ke understands the Jubilee Party constitution says the NDC comprises of national Governing Council, county whips, county majority and minority leaders, county delegates and seven representatives from each of the 290 constituencies.
As such the national Delegates Convention is the supreme organ of the party and shall determine the party’s policies.
It thus remains to be seen if Uhuru shall proceed to ratify the recommendation to fire his deputy party leader who has evidently fallen out with other party leaders allied to the president.
In the run-up to the 2017 General Election, Ruto was instrumental in rallying the dissolution of several parties, including his own party, to form one giant party they called Jubilee.
Ruto has made it clear he will be vying for the country’s top seat in 2022 but it remains unclear on which party considering the fallout in Jubilee.
Uhuru has also been warming up to other influential politicians and it looks unlikely the president shall be endorsing his deputy for the top seat as publicly stated in the run-up to 2017 General Election.
