Resign from Jubilee Party now, women MPs ask Tuju

Members of the Inua Mama MPs group at Kaaga Methodist Church, Meru County, yesterday. [Darlington Manyara, Standard].

A section of women MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto yesterday asked Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju to resign.

The group of 40 MPs who spoke at Kaaga Methodist Church in Imenti North where they donated funds to women groups, blamed Tuju for “causing divisions” in the party.

The legislators, under the tag "Inua Mama, Jenga Taifa" also drummed up support for Ruto and said they will reject any constitutional amendment drafts calling for the Women Representative positions to be scrapped or a reduction in the number of MPs.

Isiolo County Woman Rep Rehema Jaldesa said the wrangles rocking the Jubilee were a result of mismanagement of the party by its leaders, among them Tuju whom they want to step aside to pave way for “smooth” running of the outfit.

“Tuju has been overpowered and he is not fit. We are telling him that Jubilee belongs to us, we are the shareholders and we are giving him notice to leave,” said Jaldesa.

Her Tharaka Nithi counterpart Beatrice Nkatha said Jubilee MPs are angry that they are paying their party's secretary general who was working for the opposition.

Nkatha said they will exert pressure on Tuju to resign because he had no good intentions for the party.

“We are telling him that if he wants to join ODM, he should to do it in time. Every leader in Jubilee is contributing Sh10,000 each month to pay Tuju, but instead of him working for us, he is bringing divisions to our party. We are not going to allow that,” she said.

According to the leaders, Tuju is working closely with Opposition leader Raila Odinga to humiliate Ruto.

They also accused Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh and former Nyeri County MP Priscilla Nyokabi of hypocrisy. The two are members of a rival women leaders group, Team Embrace.

Jaldesa said the duo were abusing their offices.