This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
Published on May 13, 2020, President Kenyatta has notched another win against his deputy, William Ruto, in the battle to control Jubilee. Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka upheld controversial changes made to the party's house leadership despite protests from lawmakers allied to the Deputy President.
The decision has left Ruto and his allies clutching at straws. In a stormy early morning session, Lusaka ruled that Monday's Jubilee parliamentary group meeting held at State House was properly convened and upheld the resolutions that stripped Senators Kipchumba Murkomen and Susan Kihika of their majority leader and majority whip Senate posts respectively.
West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio was properly elected as the majority leader during the meeting and should take over immediately, Lusaka ruled. However, the Speaker's decision ignored a decision by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal suspending the Jubilee-Kanu post-election pact signed last week, on whose back Poghisio earned his new position.
Others elected in the State House meeting are Senators Irungu Kang'ata and Farhiya Ali, who now become majority whip and deputy, respectively. Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dulo will remain deputy majority leader.
Mr Lusaka pledged to give a detailed ruling at a later date, but insisted he was satisfied that due process had been followed. The minutes in his possession showed that 20 senators attended the State House meeting, a majority of the coalition's membership.
However, the circus surrounding the list of those who attended or did not attend the State House meeting is intriguing, making it difficult to tell who is telling the truth. The President's latest victory makes it a three-nil scoreline against his deputy who is yet to make any significant headway against his boss in the Senate since their relationship cracked.
