President Uhuru Gets Approval to Continue Serving as Jubilee Party Leader

Jubilee MPs and leaders have endorsed President Kenyatta to continue serving as the ruling party’s leader even after his 10-year presidential term expires in August this year.

Citizen Digital reports that Jubilee leaders authorized Kenyatta to negotiate and seek a coalition with other like-minded parties ahead of the August 9th elections.

The decision was made during a closed-door consultative meeting at State House on Friday and will be ratified at the party’s National Delegates Convention (NDC) slated for February 25th and 26th at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

Addressing the meeting, the president dismissed claims that the governing party is dead, saying he decided to stay away from politics to focus on his work.  

“If anyone asks you where Jubilee has been in the near past, just tell them we had gone to work to serve Kenyans,” Kenyatta is quoted as saying during the meeting.

“Jubilee has been silent because it has been at work. Now that the political season is with us, it’s moving into politics.”

Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju in a statement said the party will not field a presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections. “We will support a presidential candidate with whom we share common ideals, who will treat us with respect and whom we can form the next government as an anchor partner to continue with the work done during the last 10 years,” Tuju stated.

During the State House meeting, leaders agreed to hold a series of activities as part of the efforts to revamp Jubilee party following the exit of Deputy President William Ruto and his allies. Ruto, who is said to have fallen out with President Kenyatta, has declared he will run for the presidency on a UDA party ticket.