This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On Wednesday, Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju announced that the party would not be backing the Punguza Mizigo bill, proposed by Ekuru Aukot. This decision was made in light of the party's commitment to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a people-driven process aimed at collecting views from all Kenyans.
According to Tuju, the BBI is an initiative led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with government funding. He expressed skepticism about supporting a parallel initiative, stating, 'It’s a little bit stretching for us to have an initiative initiated by the government and our party leader and to be preoccupied in any way with a parallel initiative.'
Tuju emphasized the importance of consultation with citizens, highlighting the BBI team's efforts in this regard. He added, 'Consultation with Wananchi is very key and that is exactly what the BBI team has been doing and our party is fully behind the team and will adhere to its report.'
Notably, a number of Jubilee party members have expressed support for the Punguza Mizigo Bill, primarily from the Deputy President's wing. It is believed that Deputy President William Ruto is secretly backing the bill, as he fears the BBI Team proposals may complicate his 2022 presidential ambitions.
Meanwhile, leaders supporting the BBI Team proposals received a boost when Aden Duale, a Ruto ally, publicly endorsed the initiative. Duale stated that the BBI proposals would be beneficial to all Kenyans, aiming to end the country's divisive politics. He added, 'It’s the Parliamentary system where the masses can access equity and inclusivity in terms of education, economic power and political power.'
