Murathe resigns, declares all-out war against DP Ruto's 2022 ambition

David Murathe (pictured) has resigned his post as Jubilee Party interim Vice Chairperson, citing his position on Deputy President William Ruto presidential ambition.

Murathe said his party's position had become untenable as he could not sit in the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) with Ruto, whom he has made clear should not be the party’s presidential candidate come 2022.

The surprise resignation came on a day some Jubilee MPs demanded he either withdraw his utterances or be ousted from the party’s top position.

It was, however, not immediately clear whether Murathe had been nudged to quit or whether it was a strategic decision to preempt his removal.

But his position had become increasingly untenable particularly after the DP's allies drew President Uhuru Kenyatta into the Jubilee infighting by demanding he publicly denounces Murathe.

This, they said, would demonstrate that Murathe's utterances did not reflect the president's and were not shared by the party.

It would appear that to deflect the line of attack from getting to the Head of State, Murathe's time at the post for which he had been handpicked was up.

The former MP told a press briefing that his decision was to enable him speak freely and fight exclusion that has dogged the country’s politics.

He said there was no way the presidency was going to rotate between two communities, adding that he was ready to abandon the party in support of a broader coalition that will bring all regions on board ahead of the country’s next General Election.

Yesterday, a defiant Murathe said he stood by his comments that Ruto is not suitable to succeed Uhuru. He once again declared that there was no memorandum of understanding within the Jubilee Party on Ruto's presidency in 2022 and dared anyone privy to it to make it public.

"I now find that it is no longer tenable to stay on as the party vice-chairman. There is no way I am going to sit in the same NEC with someone who feel I am out to block him from ascending to the presidency. I have quit my position,” said Murathe.

He maintained that the DP should retire alongside Uhuru come next polls, declaring that he will proceed to the Supreme Court to seek advisory opinion on whether Ruto is eligible to contest for the top seat after serving two terms as Uhuru’s deputy.

“We want people to know this early that there is no guarantee to support anyone in 2022," he said.

He said there it was not guaranteed that anyone would succeed Uhuru because they supported him in the last two polls.

“We are trying to manage expectations. People are talking about MoUs and their expectations are so high," he said.

"I personally hold the view that we address the expectations now and not later because if our deputy party leader was to lose the election to say, Raila, or Mudavadi, and the discussion becomes 'I lost because they did not vote for me, even after I supported them for two terms', there would be chaos,"he said.

He said his remarks should not be construed to reflect the thinking of Uhuru.

“Some of us have mind of our own and have freedom of expression and that should not be twisted to the extent of drugging the party or the party leader. The Party leader has made it clear that he is not ready to be drawn into this 2022 discussion. When I speak, I do so as David Murathe and I am not holding any brief for any person,” he added

He said he stands by the utterances he made in the recent past stating that Ruto was not fit to lead the country.

"I don’t think is the right person to take over from Uhuru.”

“The utterances I made in Rarieda I stand with them. I have reasons for holding the views, let anybody with issues  about what said face me but let us remove emotions, insults and innuendos,” he said.