FRESH trouble has emerged for the Jubilee Alliance Party, with five governors allied to the ruling coalition disowning the new political outfit.
President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto have have sanctioned the formation of JAP to unite their vote blocs ahead of the 2017 polls.
They plan to defend their seats on a JAP ticket.
Speaking through Council of Governors’ chairman Isaac Rutto on condition that their names remain concealed for now, the five opposed the planned dissolution of URP and TNA, saying the idea is being imposed on them.
“The idea of the formation of JAP was arrived at using the top-down approach, instead of the bottom up. Even the Kanu regime was more consultative than Jubilee,†Rutto told the Star.
The Jubilee governors, from Central and Rift Valley, said they were saddened that MPs and senators sidelined them and failed to seek their input before unveiling JAP.
“There is no way some people can lock themselves in a room and decided on what political party should be our umbrella for the 2017 general election,†said a governor from the South Rift.
“The electorate has not been consulted, not even we as governors. It is paradoxical for some selfish individuals to make a decision on no one’s behalf and then force it down through us. We are not going to be bulled.â€
The URP governor warned Jubilee leaders against what he termed “playing the politics of exclusionâ€, saying there was need to engage all elected leaders to find an all-inclusive way forward.
“We cannot continue to impose decisions on other leaders and expect a unified approach as we move forward. The President or his deputy may not know everything, but I want to say that there some leaders who frown on consultations,†the governor said.
Another governor from Rift Valley hinted that leaders from the region would book a meeting with the DP to seek clarity on the matter once he returns to the country.
Ruto is attending the 2015 World Economic Forum annual meeting focusing on global politics, economics and social issues in Davos, Switzerland.
A Governor from Central, Uhuru’s home turf, said he has not been welcomed into the new party.
“Join or support, both of them are irrelevant at the moment. No one has told me about JAP. I have just read about it in the papers. What did they say it is?â€
The STAR