Uhuru blocks move to eject Ruto

President Uhuru Kenyatta has neutralized the spirited move by his allies to eject Deputy President William Ruto as the Jubilee deputy party leader. Kenyatta pulled the surprise move as the National Management Committee-the second most powerful organ with sweeping powers-meets review their decision.

The NMC is expected to reverse its earlier decision to have Ruto ejected as the deputy party leader of the ruling Jubilee party. The committee recommended the removal of Ruto and was only awaiting ratification by the National Executive Committee this week but NMC is today expected to drop Ruto’s ejection after President Kenyatta intervened.

Reliable sources revealed to KI that the President is not keen on having Ruto stripped of his powers as the Jubilee deputy leader although he has technically walked out and running the affairs of UDA Party.

But the move eject Ruto from the Jubilee Party leadership was expected to face legal challenges since the party’s Constitution provides that the deputy president automatically assumes the role of the party’s deputy leader.

Jubilee’s second termed has been marked with waves of purges that have routed out politicians allied to the deputy president. Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata was fired from his Majority Whip seat in early 2021 days after nominated senator Isaac Mwaura also ditched the president for Ruto’s Tangatanga.

Many had also been kicked out last year including the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who was the majority leader, former committee chairs John Kinyua (Devolution), Samson Cherargei (Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC)), Christopher Lagat (Education) and Mithika Linturi (vice chair JLAC).

But efforts to eject DP Ruto as Jubilee deputy party leader has left the ruling party divided right in the middle with a section of members of the powerful NMC piling pressure on party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta to convene  a meeting on Tuesday this week to proceed with the ouster.There is also another faction that has adopted a wait-and-see approach.