NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 2, Jubilee Party’s National Management Committee has now recommended to the party’s top most decision making organ, the National Executive Committee, to remove Deputy President William Ruto as the deputy party leader.
The party’s Secretary General Raphael Tuju said Ruto has crossed the line, following recent actions, citing Thursday’s events at the party headquarters.
“He has crossed the line,” Tuju told a news conference Friday, “We have now recommended to NEC for the removal of the Deputy President William Ruto as the Deputy party leader.”
He said the party has been watching Ruto’s recent actions, which he described as campaigns for 2022, at a time President Uhuru Kenyatta has discouraged them for his adminstration to focus on development.
“We have seen him going around the country launching the hustler movement. These are campaigns and open defiance to the president,” Tuju said, and accused Ruto of leading a brigade of critics of the president to the party headquarters on Thursday.
“He came to the party yesterday (Thursday), days after similar visits accompanied by more than 40 MPs who have been insulting the president, this trend will not be allowed,” he said.
Tuju also cited recent remarks by leaders allied to the Deputy President like Emurua Dikirr legislator Johanna Ng’eno and Oscar Sudi of Kapseret, who made remarks against the president and his mother Mama Ngina, while accusing Kenyatta of frustrating Ruto.
“The Deputy President is going around with these leaders who openly insult the president and he is even giving them a platform here at Jubilee Headquarters,” he said.
As Tuju addressed the press conference, Ruto and some of the leaders he was with at the Jubilee Headquarters was attending the burial of the mother of marathoner Paul Tergat in Nakuru.
Senators Kipchumba Murkomen and Susan Kihika of Nakuru who were with the DP at the funeral castigated Tuju, and vowed to continue going to Jubilee House.
“That is our party headquarters, we will continue going there,” Kihika said.
And when he rose to speak, Ruto said he will not stop his “hustler movement”.
“I will not stop, those bitter and uncomfortable about it should prepare for more,” he said, and steered clear of Tuju’s statement that called for his removal as deputy Jubilee Party leader.
