David Murathe to Kenya Kwanza: I can't rate a government that has done nothing

Embattled Jubilee vice chairman DAVID MURATHE tells BENJAMIN IMENDE that those who want to forcibly take over the party are out to form an alliance with the ruling alliance but vows they will never give up the fight to thwart the move.

We are witnessing infighting in Jubilee. What's your take on what is happening in the party? For instance, some people are claiming to have taken over.

You know, these people purported to conduct a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Naivasha, which removed the secretary general, treasurer, and vice chair. They then wrote to the registrar of political parties, who acknowledged that the NEC meeting was held procedurally. So, we went to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and won the case. And the tribunal found that the letter the registrar wrote on February 13 this year, acknowledging receipt and trying to suggest that it was done procedurally, was null and void. And with no legal consequences.

And you won the case?

The tribunal ruled that we should go back to our own internal party dispute resolution mechanisms to solve the issues internally within the party. Number one, the deputy secretary general Joshua Kutuny has no mandate to call a NEC meeting. He was the convener of that meeting.

Yes...

And he has no mandate to call the meeting. The meeting can only be called by the secretary general. And actually, even the chairman has no mandate to call a NEC meeting but can only chair it once the meeting has been called by the right people.

The deputy secretary general can only deputize the secretary general and has no other function, as per our constitution. So if the secretary general is available and has not delegated to the deputy, the deputy cannot call a meeting.

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The tribunal said the letter by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties was illegal, null, and void.

The party leader came to the offices to try and put his house in order. They wanted to take over, but they failed. They were actually accompanied by hundreds of policemen with more than 20 vehicles and goons. Kilimani and Kileleshwa have less than two vehicles each and tell me where these vehicles that were at Jubilee headquarters came from.

Are you suggesting someone is behind the takeover?

I am not suggesting but it is a fact that someone wants to take over Jubilee. Well, for their known reasons, they want to kill Azimio.

Why do they want to kill Azimio?

They want to kill Azimio because it is a thorn in the flesh. You remember when these elections ended, Azimio had more votes in Parliament than Kenya Kwanza. They then went to affiliate parties such as UDM. They also went for some independent candidates.

Will you take action against those parties that left Azimio because you are saying they failed to honour the agreement and the law?

It is a total violation of the coalition agreement. We have already seen that it was illegal, which we leave to the courts. What we are seeing in Jubilee is a faction that wants to take Jubilee to work with Kenya Kwanza. We have another faction, led by the party leader, that is firmly in Azimio.

How do you rate the Kenya Kwanza government?

How do you rate a government that has done nothing?

Do you see them surviving five years?

I am not able to talk about how long they would be in power. Given that they were sworn in for five years, anything can happen.

So what are the plans going forward for the opposition? What do Kenyans expect from you?

We in Jubilee are putting our house in order. We are dealing with our own issues as a committee. The boss has called for a national delegate conference. And he is the one who has called it.

Did Kenya Kwanza try to approach you?

They know it can't happen, and they can't try it.

Anything else?

If they (rebels) think they have the backing of the Jubilee Party members, they should come and take part in the party conference and elections and contest for those seats and take control of the party and take it to Kenya Kwanza. And if we are still in control of that party, we are not going to Kenya Kwanza.