Discipline paramount in Jubilee, Tuju says of Senate shake-up

Reuben Mwambingu @reubenmwambingu

Jubilee Party will not hesitate to discipline errant members whenever necessary, secretary general Raphael Tuju has said.

Speaking on Sunday night during K24 TV’s Punchline talk show, Tuju defended the recent party changes in Senate leadership that saw allies of Deputy President William Ruto de-whipped.

“We don’t want our Members of Parliament to live in fear that there is going to be a purge against them but we expect discipline going forward,” he said.

“In the leadership in the House if it is necessary to change, we should expect those changes.” 

Asked whether the changes are targeting DP as has been alleged, Tuju said: “There is only one party leader who is President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Leaders in the National Assembly and Senate as Majority Leaders, are representing the President.”

“If you have problems with his government, I think it is untenable for you to continue to be the representative of the government in the National Assembly. I don’t see where all these other politics is coming from…” Tuju reckoned.

Tuju accused people whose main focus is 2022 election of creating friction in the ruling party.  

“We are going through a very difficult moment with the Covid-19. Our focus at the moment is really to deal with it.

But unfortunately there are those who want to politick despite our President being very clear on this,” he said.

He, however, appeared to defend Ruto,  saying the politicians who have been demonstrating traits of “indiscipline” and impatience over 2022 politics have never stated that whatever they have been doing they are doing it in the name of the DP.

On the Kanu-Jubilee coalition agreement, Tuju said it was not new as there was a pre-election memorandum.

“In fact in the Senate and in the National Assembly, members of Kanu do chair certain committees on behalf of Jubilee, they are really part of the coalition.”