Jubilee Party leaders intensified pressure on President Uhuru Kenyatta to publicly state his position on a possible 2022 presidential referendum, as factional tensions escalated over allegations of systemic corruption within his administration.
Two MPs from the party, Kapsaret's Oscar Sudi and Kimilili's Didmus Barasa, called on Kenyatta to either endorse or reject the idea of a constitutional amendment to extend his term, citing concerns over political motives behind the anti-graft campaign. Sudi accused government allies of using the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to target Deputy President William Ruto, warning DCI head George Kinoti against becoming a political pawn.
Barasa argued that if Kenyatta believes corruption is widespread, he should dissolve the current government and hold new elections to purge alleged corrupt officials. "The work being done by Kinoti in the name of fighting corruption is not genuine," Sudi stated, referencing the 2019 political landscape. "He risks being discarded like former Electoral Commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu if he is not cautious."
The remarks came during a church fundraiser in Kapseret, where MPs claimed the 2019 handshake agreement between Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga was being exploited to undermine Ruto's presidential ambitions. Both lawmakers accused Odinga of leveraging the anti-graft narrative to counter Ruto's political rise.
