Raphael Tuju: Uhuru’s main concern is to leave a united country

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta is keen on crafting coalitions that will bring all Kenyans together and foster unity ahead of next year’s election.

This comes amid wrangles in the Jubilee administration pitying his allies against those of Deputy President William Ruto, who are now leaning towards newly formed United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Nation, Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju explained why the President is interested on salvaging the country by fostering cooperation with other political parties.

“We as Jubilee are very interested in coalitions that bring Kenyans together. This is the reason we are involved in constructive engagement with ODM, Wiper, Ford K, ANC, and Kanu,” he said.

Jubilee Party has signed a coalition agreement with Baringo Senator Gideon Moi’s Kanu and is working with Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper and Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) under a co-operation agreement inked last year.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga has also been working closely with President Kenyatta courtesy of their March 9, 2018 ‘Handshake’.Mr Odinga has recently fallen out with his Nasa co-principals—Mr Musyoka, Mr Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula.

Healthy competition

The three have since teamed up with Mr Moi to form the One Kenya Movement, while Mr Odinga has turned to Narc party leader Charity Ngilu, Maendeleo Chap Chap’s Alfred Mutua and governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and former Cabinet Minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi.

Mr Tuju said the development denotes healthy competition: “Politics is competitive and competition makes the best ideas and leaders emerge.”

He, noted, however, that political competition becomes a problem “when it results in the kind of violence and destructive situations we have witnessed in the past like in 2007.”

“It is the responsibility of the President and all the country’s political leadership to engage in statecraft for the benefit of millions of Kenyans who depend on us to guarantee safety and security,” said Mr Tuju.

“Too often, we have been preoccupied with looking at the trees without seeing the forest. For many years, the political arena has been divisive and people have died as a result,” he said.

The President’s main interest, Mr Tuju said, is to ensure that the country does not go back the violence witnessed in the past.

Ethnic concerns

“Remember that, after the 2017 elections, there was a significant part of the country that was contemplating secession because they saw no hope of inclusion politically,” he said.

“Nobody can convince me that those heavy and weighty issues are not important. Our responsibility as the government is to ensure the viability Project Kenya,” he said.

He pointed out that the wrangles in Jubilee Party are not ideological but ethnic concerns. Dr Ruto’s allies in Tangatanga have been at loggerheads with their Kieleweke counterparts who back President Kenyatta.

Mr Tuju said: “We believe whatever actions they are taking is it because of ethnic considerations.”

He said that, whether in Jubilee, ODM, or UDA “we should always embrace the fact that we are Kenyans.”

“Our fates are intertwined. We are inseparable because we marry across the ethnic divide and we live together.”

“We cannot afford to tear this country to pieces because if that happens we all get hurt,” he said.   BY DAILY NATION