This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
Published on May 24, 2020, the ongoing purge in the Jubilee Party has sparked mixed reactions, with some members of parliament from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) supporting the move.
Senators James Orengo (Siaya), Oburu Odinga (East Africa Legislative Assembly), and Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Atandi distanced the ODM from the woes bedeviling the ruling party, saying it does not have a hand in the ongoing internal wrangles in Jubilee.
However, the trio supported the purge, saying it was necessary for the party to succeed in implementing its goals. They argued that President Uhuru Kenyatta was justified in taking disciplinary action against those perceived to be frustrating the party's programs.
“It will be of no value to vote out Kindiki and leave another in Parliament holding a key position in government when it comes to legislation,” Francis Atwoli, Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), said, calling for disciplinary action to be extended to National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and others perceived to be defying the President.
The purge has seen Senators Kipchumba Murkomen, Susan Kihika, and Kithure Kindiki stripped of their Senate leadership positions in a process that some MPs have termed unconstitutional.
