MPs who met Ruto at State House risk expulsion from Jubilee party

Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni (centre) speaks at the party headquarters during a past presser. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has said the process of instituting disciplinary action against rebel MPs has started. The party has summoned the MPs who met President William Ruto at State House, to explain why they should not be expelled. The legislators - Nominated MP Sabina Chege, Kanini Kega (East African Legislative Assembly), Eldas MP Adan Keynan and Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo - are accused of engaging with the President without the party's approval. The MPs who have twice held meetings with the President might only survive should they honour the summons and explain themselves to the relevant party organ on why they should not be expelled from the party. Speaking to The Standard on Monday, Kioni said members who feel they want to jump ship must use the right procedure. "In Swahili, they say mwenye macho haambiwi tazama, it's very clear that they have moved. The starting point is to walk away if you feel you are no longer content," he said. But should the rebel Jubilee MPs fail to honour the summons, Kioni said the party will implement any decision recommended by the committee set up to probe them "We will ensure that we finalise their exit. You cannot hold the former president at ransom and force him to work with Ruto," he said. Kioni noted that the party will rely on Section 14A and 14B of the Political Parties Act on membership resignation and Article 103 of the Constitution. According to the law, MPs automatically lose their elective positions if they stop being members of political parties that sponsored them during the elections, by either resigning or being expelled. Kioni maintained that he is still the Jubilee sectary general dismissing the purported National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that resolved to suspend him arguing that "it was a scheme following instructions from State House for their individual benefits." "They are under strict instructions from State House, they were told to hold the meeting in Nakuru which is very strategic as they were told they have to attend a thanksgiving service in the same county on Sunday," he said. "They are definitely gaining something from the so-called invites. They have betrayed someone who has groomed them into politics for sanitisation," he added. However, it remains to be seen whether this time round Jubilee will be successful in expelling the rebel MPs following the party chairman Uhuru Kenyatta's stand on the matter. Following the fallout of former President Kenyatta and the then-Deputy President William Ruto, the DP and some of his allies found a new home in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Despite pressure on Ruto to quit Jubilee following his nomination to vie for the presidency on UDA ticket nothing much changed as his allies maintained that they were Jubilee members despite publicly marketing the new outfit. A section of Jubilee MPs led by Sabina Chege and Kanini Kega with President William Ruto and DP Rigathi Gachagua at State House. [PCS] And despite a caucus at the time asking the party leadership to write to the Political Parties Registrar and have Ruto and his allies struck off the list of Jubilee members, nothing was done until they shifted to UDA ahead of the August 2022 General Election. All eyes will now be on the party to see whether it will be the same bark with no bite or things will be different this time and the rebels will be forced out. Kioni said cracks in Jubilee have forced Uhuru to actively engage in politics as his name has been adversely mentioned by various leaders. He said although the intentions of the former present were to stay away from politics, we will now see more of him as he has the right to defend himself from public insults. "When you keep on abusing him what do you expect? We will now see more of him though he did not want to be active in politics," he said On Saturday the former president addressed Nyanza residents where he vowed to support Azimio leader Raila Odinga. During the funeral service of former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha in Siaya county, Uhuru he referred to Raila as his party leader. And although he did not dwell on the ongoing fights in Jubilee, he dismissed claims that Jubilee was planning to ditch Azimio "I may be retired but I am not tired. Even though I'm not in active politics, I'm still in the party and we are still part of and support Azimio coalition. Nothing has changed," said the former president. And the rift in Jubilee continues to widen after 11 former MPs declared support for President Ruto's Government. Addressing the Press at a Nairobi hotel yesterday, the group led by former Kiambu Town MP Jude Njomo declared support for Kenya Kwanza administration and Jubilee acting secretary general Kanini Kega. "The current administration has our full support and on matters NEC, we follow the deliberations from the one held in Nakuru," he said.

MPs who met Ruto at State House risk expulsion from Jubilee party

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