URP agrees to dissolve and join new Jubilee party

NAIROBI: Deputy President William Ruto's United Republican Party (URP) has resolved to dissolve and join Jubilee Party of Kenya ahead of the 2017 polls.

In a four-hour meeting held at the party's headquarters Thursday, the National Executive Council (NEC) endorsed a plan to dissolve the party and merge with other Jubilee coalition affiliates under the new party.

The Standard established that the meeting chaired by Bare Shill (Fafi MP) and Secretary General Fred Muteti also proposed to have its NEC absorbed in the new party in an interim basis until party elections are held.

The endorsement of the dissolution of URP sets stage for other Jubilee-allied parties to move with speed and fold up their parties and join the new outfit, JPK.

"We met and resolved to dissolve our party, URP, and join the Jubilee Party of Kenya. We want to form a strong united party that will unite all Kenyans," said a source who attended the meeting but sought anonymity.

The party also resolved to adopt the existing party structures at the county level once JPK takes off.

The meeting was also attended by URP National Assembly Chief Whip Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central), his Senate counterpart Stephen Sang (Nandi), and the party's Executive Director David Koech.

The 33-member council has now given the green light to the party's National Delegates Council (NDC) to oversee the resolution of NEC, and endorse the dissolution.

NDC has up to December 10, to endorse the dissolution and the merger into JPK ahead of December 19, the deadline for all parties wishing to join Jubilee to fold up. The source stated that during the meeting, the members raised issue of officials losing their seats when they merge.