Uhuru drawn into Murathe attacks on DP over succession : The Standard

Some Jubilee Party MPs have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to denounce the utterances of one of his allies who has said he is out to block Deputy President William Ruto from ascending to the presidency. Mr Ruto's allies dismissed former Jubilee Party vice chairman David Murathe as a political broker whose views did not represent the party position in the latest wave of political play revolving around the 2022 succession. The angry responses came a day after Mr Murathe, one of President Kenyatta’s closest allies, vowed to seek a Supreme Court interpretation on the eligibility of Ruto to vie for president. Ruto's supporters have been kept busy in recent weeks by the former Gatanga MP's attacks on the deputy president, including his recent declaration that there was no deal in the Jubilee Party to ensure that Ruto succeeded Uhuru. 

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MPs Nelson Koech (Belgut) and Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati) urged the President, as the party leader, to reprimand Murathe and demonstrate that the former official's utterances were personal.  “Murathe is a well-known Uhuru ally and we are not sure if he is speaking on his own behalf or on behalf of the President. Even as the President seeks to avoid the debate, it has reached a point where he has to come out clear on his position,” Mr Ngunjiri said in Nakuru. The lawmaker said Uhuru should take responsibility for the succession debate as he was the originator of the same during their campaigns in the run up to the 2013 polls. “When Uhuru and Ruto united to form the Jubilee Party during a rally in Nakuru, he (Uhuru) declared that he would leave the Presidency to Ruto after his two terms. This is a fire he started, and he should put it off himself,” said Ngunjiri. Mr Koech said although the President recently disassociated himself with the remarks made by Murathe about 2022, it was important that he personally speaks to him since they are close friends.

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“It is easy for President Kenyatta to reprimand his close friend over his unguarded...remarks. It is important for the Head of State to come out and denounce Mr Murathe in public for the sake of the party’s unity,” he said. In Nairobi, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen led a group of the DP's allies who described Murathe as a busy body, broker and political reject out to make himself relevant. The leaders maintained that Murathe’s sentiments on Ruto’s 2022 presidency were personal and did not represent the political stand of the party, so nobody should take him seriously. Mr Murkomen said Jubilee’s National Executive Council (NEC) - which he is a member - had not met to discuss anything concerning 2022 politics. And when this meeting will take place, Murkomen explained, the party will communicate the decision through its rightful spokesperson - Uhuru or Ruto.

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The lawmaker said only then will President Kenyatta break his silence adding that the head of state does not need a proxy to speak for him on 2022 matters, since he is busy initiating development projects across the country. “Those you hear making noise were not with us when we dissolved our parties -I being the lawyer for URP- to form Jubilee. Our agreement then as it is now was to unite Kenyans. This country needs healing. I know the Deputy President and President very well, they know how far we have come,” said Murkomen. He insisted that President Kenyatta was the spokesperson of the party and until he breaks his silence, sentiments like those of Murathe cannot be taken seriously.  Separately, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, called Murathe’s bluff, daring him to proceed to court. “We are ready to fight it out if he goes to court. He should stop threatening people with the Supreme Court, as if it is his personal property,” said the legislator, who alluded to a plot to isolate the DP and his men from the ruling party. 

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“We will not quit Jubilee Party. Jubilee swallowed URP and many other political parties. Jubilee party was formed to unite Kikuyus and Kalenjins and Murathe should know where the party started,” Mr Sudi said during a press conference in Eldoret. “Let the president call for an election immediately so that the party decides. I have never seen officials who defy their party."  Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey and Pokot South MP David Pkosing called for jubilee elections to kick out officials "who do not speak for the party". “We hope that we will have party elections before the end of this year so that we have officials who can speak for the party. Murathe’s remarks are his personal opinion and do not represent the views of the party…Jubilee has its plans and all members are guided by these plans,” said Mr Cherargey.  Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono claimed there was a plot to keep Ruto’s allies ‘busy’ as his critics sharpen their knives for 2022. Political enemies “Murathe should be ignored because he wants Rift Valley MPs to remain busy responding to his remarks. The DP’s political enemies want us to expose all our political weapons before the real battle begins. His remarks amount to betrayal and can break Jubilee Party,” he said.  MPs Hilary Kosgei (Kipkelion West), Ngunjiri Wambugu (Nyeri Town), Didimus Barasa (Kimilili), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira) and Robert Pukose (Endebess) said Murathe's continued attacks on Ruto would antagonise the party leadership. Kosgei said the attacks on the DP were a scheme meant to confuse Kenyans. “We are yet to know where Murathe gets the boldness from. Jubilee is supposed to be rejoicing that it has a candidate as a front runner. We are yet to see if he will be reprimanded and if not, we will take it that he was speaking on their behalf,” he said.  Mr Gachagua said Murathe’s sentiments were an acknowledgement that Ruto was the man to beat in the 2022 presidential race and that is the reason those against him were plotting to lock him out. “Why does Murathe only go outside Jubilee strongholds to make such reckless statements? Him and others know that with Ruto at the ballot, he will win and that is why, they are determined to lock him out of the ballot,” he said. Mr Barasa said Murathe's  body language and pronouncements show that he "wants the party to disintegrate". Pukose said Murathe had been in office illegally. “He held the post on interim basis. His term was supposed to expire in December 2017, but it was extended because of the repeat presidential election,” said Pukose. Wambugu said Murathe had the right to say whatever he wanted as regards anything political or otherwise in Kenya. Speaking during a church service at Revival Sanctuary of Glory Church in Riruta Satellite, Dagoretti South on invitation by the area MP John Kiarie, Murkomen led a battery of MPs in dismissing Murathe saying declarations made in funerals or bar settings were baseless. Unnecessary hype “To us in Jubilee, this is a non-issue. The only reason we have come out to speak is because of the unnecessary hype the debate has elicited,” said Murkomen. “People have been taken to court for things that do not exist in the law, so it will not be first time.” Njagua said Murathe will be surprised come 2022 when all political bigwigs including Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Ruto will sit at one table and chart a way forward for this country. “Therefore when we hear some of these people who we can only refer as busy bodies talking about an MoU that exists or does not exist...let me tell you the MoU that exists is between us (politicians) and the people of Kenya to work and deliver,” said Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichunga. “When you have political rejects, who have not been elected by anybody, and are carelessly moving about this country to bring uncertainty, please rebuke and pray for them,” said Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika. Barasa said it was a waste of time for leaders to respond to Murathe as that would only dignify his stand. [Graham Kajilwa, Stephen Rutto, Kennedy Gachuhi, Rawlings Otieno, Daniel Psirmoi, Protus Onyango and Moses Nyamori]

Related Topics

Succession politicsUhuru KenyattaDavid MuratheWilliam Ruto