Sabina Chege says Jubilee Party will collapse if Uhuru stays

Nominated MP Sabina Chege arrives at the Jubilee Party offices in Nairobi on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. The battle for control of the outfit continues to rage between Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni and East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega. [Samson Wire, Standard] Acting Jubilee Party leader and Nominated MP Sabina Chege has defended the decision to oust former President Uhuru Kenyatta arguing it is meant to save the outfit from collapsing. Ms Chege explained that the party had suffered political plunders at the hands of Uhuru and that she has made it her mission to ensure it regains its rightful place as the voice of Mt Kenya region. The MP was appointed Jubilee party leader on Tuesday during the National Executive Council meeting. "The Jubilee Party is owned by its members and its power is exercised by elected leaders. He (Uhuru) currently holds no position in the party. He should concentrate on his international assignments and take a back seat politically like his predecessors as prescribed by law," she stated during an interview on Inooro TV on Wednesday, May 3. According to law, the Nominated MP said, Uhuru should have resigned from active politics six months after President William Ruto was sworn in. She regretted that the former president is now tainting his legacy by choosing "to take to the streets in protests." Chege further chided Uhuru for his decision to "hand over" Jubilee to opposition leader Raila Odinga claiming he abandoned them during talks on parliamentary power sharing, the constitution of committees, commissions and the bipartisan talks committee. "... we tried to reach him through phone calls and text messages. He never responded. We are now pursuing an independent journey because if we stayed in Azimio, we would have died," she said. Let Ruto work The former Murang'a Woman Rep further told Uhuru to allow President Ruto to turn around the country's fortunes. "When we recently went to take over our party, we found ODM politicians manning the gates. Jeremiah Kioni (the embattled secretary general) was there armed with a huge metal rod ready for war," she said. She added: "We have seen him on board campaign vans in Nyanza region declaring Mr Odinga as his party leader. He is silent and comes out with thugs telling us to leave Jubilee. We are not going anywhere. Jubilee is us, not him." Asked whether Uhuru was still the Mt Kenya kingpin, Chege responded in the negative emphasizing that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was the region's leader by virtue of the position he currently occupies. She warned Uhuru and his loyalists against meddling in the affairs of the Jubilee and trying to illegally regain control. New Jubilee office-bearers "As he continues to engage in desperate activities that are not backed by any law he should know that the Jubilee National Executive Council (NEC) is not with him. The NEC will soon convene the National Delegates Conference (NDC) and Jubilee will reinvent itself by electing its preferred office-bearers," she said. The Nominated MP declared that together with the EALA legislator and acting Jubilee Secretary General Kanini Kega, they do not fear losing their nominations to the respective Houses. "Cowardice is a cause of poverty. They can take away the nomination if they can. They can take away the Minority Whip if they can. He should communicate directly with me instead of sending his foot soldiers," she said. The Jubilee faction loyal to Uhuru has however insisted that they will proceed with the NDC slated for May 22 and will fight to defend the party from an "illegal takeover by State House." On Wednesday, Kioni maintained that the coup was of no legal consequence and that the NDC would make the final decision on who takes over the reins of the former ruling party.

Sabina Chege says Jubilee Party will collapse if Uhuru stays

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Sabina Chege says Jubilee Party will collapse if Uhuru stays

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