RUTO DUMPS JUBILEE

Some allies of the Deputy President William Ruto have claimed that he could run on a different political party in the 2022 General Election.

Speaking a day after speculations swirled that the DP could ditch Jubilee, confidants disclosed that the intended renaming of the Party for Reforms and Development to United Democratic Alliance is part of their game plan ahead of the polls.

“We left Jubilee a long time ago. We now have a new vehicle,” an MP close to the DP confided to the Star on condition of anonymity.

The Registrar of Political Parties on Monday gave notice of intention by the PDR to change its name to UDA, raising speculation that the DP camp was plotting to embrace the party as his vehicle for the election.

In the gazette notice published on Monday, the party also sought to change its symbol from a bull to a wheelbarrow with Kazi Ni Kazi as its slogan.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 20 (i) of the Political Parties Act, the Registrar of Political Parties gives notice that the Party for Reforms and Development (PDR) intends to effect changes on their particulars,” reads the gazette notice in part.

The wheelbarrow has been the face of the hustler nation empowerment programme headed by the DP that has attracted a lot of criticism from supporters of the Building Bridges Initiative.

With the new symbol and the slogan, Ruto allies told the Star that it is only a matter of time before the DP gives direction on how he will approach the 2022 election.

“We were are fed up with that party [Jubilee]. What they have treated us to is enough. We are charting our own way,” another MP said on condition that he is not named.

Ruto and his allies have had run-ins with Jubilee top leadership on key issues including fielding of candidates in the previous polls.

In Msambweni parliamentary mini-poll, Ruto backed an independent candidate after Jubilee pulled out of the race citing the handshake.

The MP disclosed that the renamed party could filed candidates in some of the upcoming by-elections “even if Jubilee fields theirs.”

PDR is an affiliate of Jubilee party. It won three parliamentary seats, one woman representative and a senator in the 2017 election.

However, Soy MP Caleb Kositany and Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei who are Ruto’s confidants sought to downplay the claims he was intending to use the party.

“There are very many parties in Kenya. Why is this one a problem? There is nothing wrong. It is just a change of a name of a party which is an affiliate of Jubilee,” he said.

Asked whether the DP will use the renamed party in 2022, Kositany said, “That is not a problem. Maybe it is, maybe it is not. Why should we link DP to everything that is happening politically?”

He reiterated that the DP and his allies are still in Jubilee.

“There are very many political parties in Kenya.…let them continue with the curiosity, but they should be careful it does not kill the cat… let people relax,” he said.

Former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, who was reported to be new chairman of the renamed party, sought to downplay the report but hinted at leading a party ahead of the 2022 polls.

“I want Kenyans also to enjoy their Christmas. But there must be at any given time a democratic process that brings in a party that brings Kenyans together and I won’t mind being the chairman of such an organisation,” he said.

He added, “If it is about DP Ruto, currently he belongs to Jubilee party. Ruto is the deputy party leader of Jubilee and DP of Jubilee’s government. But the party I will be leading. I will not mind to approach any Kenyan to come and join us.”

Sourced from The Star