Uhuru embarks on plan to keep Jubilee vibrant
President Uhuru Kenyatta has crafted an elaborate plan to make the Jubilee Party the dominant political outfit in the Mt Kenya region, as part of his determination to boost ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid.
The President is now promising aspirants wishing to vie on the Jubilee ticket various desirables, among them funding their campaigns and access to some government privileges.
Sources intimated to People Daily that the President intends to sustain an aspirants’ mobilisation programme that would see him welcoming back some popular individuals who had defected from the party.
Besides giving firm instructions to the party’s new leadership and deploying senior officers to participate in grassroots mobilisation in their respective counties, Uhuru is reported to have taken charge in monitoring the progress of ongoing activities in the party, which last month mandated him to continue serving as its leader even after retiring as President.
Vibrant former
Sources disclosed that Uhuru, in his endeavour to bring the party back to its vibrant former self, is determined to increase its visibility and ensure leaders who have stood with him all through thick and thin, and those shifting back, particularly aspirants “feel appreciated and accommodated”.
Those in the know say the President is determined to avoid a situation where individuals who have stood with him would feel short-changed or exploited by colleagues deemed to enjoy close ties with him like it has happened before.
Last weekend, the President, through a phone call on loudspeaker, addressed hundreds of aspirants from Kiambu County, who had converged at a venue on Kiambu Road for a closely-guarded meeting, under the stewardship of Transport Permanent Secretary (PS) Joseph Njoroge, Principal Administrative Secretary at State House Kennedy Kihara, Communication Authority chair Ngene Gituku, Jubilee Vice-Chair David Murathe and Mt Kenya University boss Simon Gicharu, as part of efforts to revitalise the party.
Sources say similar meetings have been lined across all counties in Mt Kenya, as the President embarks on a journey to instil confidence among party supporters.
Njoroge, Kihara and Gituku have been mandated to take charge of Jubilee Party activities in Kiambu, with the latter two playing a critical role in their planning and execution.
The meeting came two days after another one held in Kiambu Town on Thursday evening, which failed after some disgruntled aspirants accused a section of the organisers of demeaning them.
Impeccable sources at the Thursday meeting revealed that some aspirants accused the planners of usurping roles not meant for them, since they held neither portfolios in party nor government, leading to a protest to party officials who promised a second meeting.
Come Saturday, the President is said to have assured the aspirants of his “total support” in their campaigns and urged them not to panic over claims of Raila’s unpopularity in the Mt Kenya region.
He is reported to have ingrained confidence in those at the meeting, telling them that “I know the person whom I am telling you to support (referring to Raila), is definitely going to win.”
He assured the aspirants of his support by boosting their activities even before the party settles on candidates. He is reported to have promised to accord respect to all individuals who stick with Jubilee as he persuaded them not to decamp should they miss tickets.
“It is my appeal to all of you that even after party primaries, irrespective of whether you will have received the ticket to vie for the seats, stand with our house (referring to Jubilee ). My house as Uhuru is big, the Jubilee Party is big, and even the incoming government is equally big and will have space for you. I will stand with you and I will be here with you so that we take care of the interests of the community,” Uhuru told the aspirants.
He added: “Anyone who is looking for a party ticket, will be facilitated. If you are having an activity, you will be supported with Jubilee merchandise. But you will have to make prior arrangements for proper planning. And if there is anywhere we have premises where it’s possible to brand them with our party colours, let it be done so that our party can be everywhere.”
This is the first time the party is extending support to aspirants to entice them since ordinarily, such assistance is given once parties have nominated candidates.
And although during the Sagana Three meeting, Uhuru said he did not have a problem with other parties mushrooming in the region, he is now reportedly keen on rejuvenating Jubilee which has new leadership, and is reported to have told the aspirants that “though we are in Azimio, in Mt Kenya we are Jubilee”.
Other than ongoing on-ground activation campaigns, the party leadership, led by new Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni has been holding meetings with pro-Azimio leaders in Central Kenya and persuading aspirants in other parties supportive of Uhuru and Raila to join Jubilee.
Registration deadline
Yesterday, former Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau, who had earlier announced his intention to contest the Murang’a governor seat on Chama Cha Kazi associated with Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, was escorted to Jubilee headquarters by Woman Rep Sabina Chege, Kangema MP Muturi Kigano, Ngugi Nduati (Gatanga), Ruth Mwaniki (Kigumo), Peter Kimari (Mathioya) and former Senator Kembi Gitura, where he was received by Kieni MP and Jubilee pointman Kanini Kega.
“We’ve decided that we will vie, in the upcoming elections on a Jubilee ticket. I will not shy away from confessing that many parties are looking for me, but I can assure you that, there were a lot of shenanigans. Some plans had been hatched by those people, to do what they exactly did in 2017 and I was not prepared to go in that direction. I am safer in Jubilee,” Kamau said.
Kioni said the party, which extended the registration deadline for aspirants, was keen on getting as many aspirants as possible, with the ultimate goal being to ensure it wins the majority of the seats.
“We are still registering people until the 22nd of this month, which is on Tuesday. My work is to contact everyone who wants to come and contest our party. If we can send 100 MPs to Parliament, we will be able to negotiate with other parties,” said Kioni.
At the weekend, Interior PS Karanja Kibicho who, according to sources, has been put in charge of Kirinyaga County, succeeded in persuading former Senator Daniel Karaba to rejoin Jubilee from former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party (TSP) in an event held at Kagio, where several UDA affiliated leaders decamped to the ruling party.
The PS admitted to having been on an assignment to popularise Jubilee. While reacting to claims by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party that he and his boss-Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i were harassing its aspirants, Kibicho told Ruto’s camp to also invite them.
“Everyone in this country has the freedom of association and movement as well as expression as long as you have not broken the law. And we have said as government officials, we will not be gagged and we will retreat to our backyards so that we can talk to the people and tell them how the country is progressing. We are doing it for Jubilee and if UDA wants us to help them they can invite us to do civic education for their people as well,” Kibicho said.
In Laikipia, Jubilee is wooing Governor Ndiritu Muriithi who had declared to seek his re-election on Party of National Unity (PNU), and who is rated as the most popular candidate after his fortunes soared with the exit of Kiunjuri who is seeking the Laikipia East parliamentary seat.
But while the governor has demonstrated willingness to join the Uhuru-led party, we established that the county chief has issued some conditions which he wants to be met, among them the execution of the county’s infrastructural bond which was approved last year by the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), and hastening of operationalisation of Ol-moran sub-county headquarters.
In Nyandarua, former Water CS Sicily Kariuki and incumbent Francis Kimemia are engaged in a bruising battle for the Jubilee ticket. The former CS has not only been engaging in aggressive campaigns but has also been recruiting aspirants for other seats.
