Kuria confirmed that he intended to vie for the position of secretary-general currently occupied by Raphael Tuju.
“Yes I will run against Tuju,” Kuria disclosed to this writer while confirming an earlier announcement on Facebook that also included a shot, albeit seemingly pejorative, at Tuju’s CS without portfolio position.
Tuju has in recent months drawn the ire of leaders in the Tanga Tanga political faction allied to Deputy President William Ruto that accuses him of acting unilaterally when making key party decisions.
He has been accused of leaning towards the Kieleweke faction of the party backing President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, with his pronouncements cast by Tanga Tanga leaders as attacks on the Deputy President.
His declaration in December 2019, for example, that leaders accused of corruption would be barred from contesting in the party elections sparked heated debates.
“Jubilee has a NEC, board of secretariat and a parliamentary group and is not run by an individual called Mr Tuju,” National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale responded at the time.
Kuria told kenyagist.com that if elected, his focus would be on bringing together the warring factions within the party.
“What I’d do differently from Tuju is to unite the factions,” he noted.
Another Ruto ally, Didmus Baraza, had confirmed his interest in the same position, telling kenyagist.com on Monday, January 6, that he would not accept suggestions to postpone the polls.
“We must hold elections in March, it’s a requirement by law. Anybody who is opposed to the Jubilee Party holding elections in March, those are enemies of the Jubilee Party and they want the party dissolved which we won’t allow,” he stated.
Baraza was responding to Nominated MP Isaac Mwaura who claimed that Jubilee would disintegrate if they were to undertake internal elections with the incessant wrangling within the party.
