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The decision to strip Deputy President William Ruto of his Jubilee Party deputy leader’s position has been put on hold.

Vice-Chairman David Murathe charged that the party had put everything on hold  in honour of fallen Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli and “out of respect for our partnership with Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).”

Murathe, the DP’s ardent critic said the  party’s National Management Committee (NMC) was awaiting instructions on when the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting would be held.

“Where it has reached now is for NEC to ratify, modify or reject. NMC has recommended he goes home. Everything is on hold and we are also waiting for further instructions on when the NEC meeting should be,” said Murathe.

Close confidant 

Murathe, a close confidant of President Uhuru Kenyatta, argued that the ongoing process to remove Ruto as the Deputy Party Leader had nothing to do with him as the Deputy President.

He explained that once a person has been presented as a running-mate by the Jubilee Party, the constitution sets in, adding that Ruto can only be removed through impeachment by the bicameral House and not the party.

“The plan to remove him as the Deputy Party Leader has nothing to do with him being Deputy President. After the party presents you as the running-mate, the constitution kicks in. So it is only the impeachment that can have him out,” said Murathe.

However, Ruto’s allies have argued that they are not surprised with the development to remove their boss from the deputy party leader’s position, saying that his removal will be inconsequential.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech was claimed  that the removal of his boss from the plum position of the party is not only inconsequential but does not guarantee kicking him out as the deputy president.

“Whatever they are trying to do is inconsequential. They can remove him for all we care but they cannot kick him out as the DP,” said Koech.

Koech ruled claimed that the Jubilee party is no longer interested in fielding a presidential candidate and that they would  be lucky if they get two MPs in the August 2022 polls.

“The problem with Jubilee is that it is being run by political desperados who have no clout.

They can remove everybody but what they will not do is to kill the vision Jubilee had,” he added.

Uhuru veto

But whereas Murathe put up a spirited argument for the postponement of the NMC’s decision to kick Ruto out, People Daily established that President Uhuru Kenyatta vetoed the report.

Murathe stated that nothing stops NMC from removing him as the deputy party leader, adding that the President can delegate that position to the chair.

“Everything is on hold until we finish with the mourning of Magufuli and then we will revisit. Today we basically discussed the upcoming by-elections.”

Murathe argued that there are a number of Jubilee party leaders who left but are now coming back to the party leaving the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) associated with Ruto.

“For all intents and purposes, all these people have left and we wish them well.

As far as we are concerned it is them leaving. But you can see some of them have started coming. They have started running from that house like rats from a house on fire.”

Murathe’s axis wants Ruto’s immediate removal from Jubilee’s leadership in an escalation of a battle ahead of the 2022 General Election.

The plan remove the DP from the party leadership has dragged on since October last year.

Murathe said the meeting discussed the forthcoming by-elections in Bonchari, Juja and Garissa County.

Already Jubilee has settled on Susan Njeri, the widow of former Juja MP Francis Waititu for the Juja parliamentary seat, Zebedeo Opore for Bonchari and Abdul Haji, son of the late Senator Yusuf Haji, for Garissa Senatorial position.

NMC in its resolution of October last year, recommended that Ruto should be relieved of his duties as the Deputy Party Leader.