The Roaring Purge Within The Jubilee Party: Is Ruto Next?

By Clinton Ochieng

The removal of Soy MP Caleb Kositany, Deputy President William Ruto’s confidant from his prestigious position in the ruling Jubilee Party on Monday evening may have sounded the alarm on DP’s fate in the party.

It has been seven months of a ruthless purge, where every prediction made by party Vice Chair David Murathe on party management has come to pass. And now, the only man standing in DP’s camp is Ruto himself.

Kositany was replaced by Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny. The Soy MP has, however, vowed to fight back while also acknowledging that “they might be coming for the DP”. Kositany claimed his letter was rushed, that it was dated 2020 instead of 2021.

As Kositany whined, it was all joy for Kutuny. He arrived breathing fire and declaring that his first assignment would be to kick out Jubilee leaders who are disrespectful to President Kenyatta and dividing Kenyans.

Kutuny pledged to clean the Jubilee house and dismissed Ruto as a power-hungry leader who will be rejected by Kenyans in 2022.

Those pushing for the removal of the DP from the party are looking at it as extra pressure on Ruto to quit his DP post. They are latching onto the past practices of established political parties where the removal from a party post automatically overturns any other position held on the basis of the party sponsorship. This has been the case with Africa’s oldest party, the African National Congress.

However, legal experts are warning such practices, such as ANC’s, may not apply in Ruto’s situation. They indicate provisions in the Constitution regarding the elimination of vacancy in the office of the DP.

READ: Caleb Kositany Thrown Out Of The Jubilee Towers