This archive report was first published on 25 May 2020.
Published on May 25, 2020, a section of Jubilee Party senators and MPs from the Rift Valley are divided over the ruling party's purge, which has seen some of Deputy President William Ruto's key allies kicked out of plum leadership positions.
Five senators who voted against the axing of Senator Kithure Kindiki as Senate Deputy Speaker face a political onslaught from lawmakers perceived to be leaning towards President Uhuru Kenyatta as the 2022 succession politics take centre stage.
Senate Education Committee Chairperson Christopher Lang'at (Bomet), Senate Public Service Commissioner Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Senate Committee Legal and Human Rights Chairperson Samson Cherargey (Nandi), and Senate Devolution Committee Chairperson John Kinyua (Laikipia) are among those facing disciplinary action.
Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Sila Tiren (Moiben), and Joshua Kutuny (Cherang'any) have been critical of the DP's camp, accusing members of fronting selfish interests at the expense of the community.
Mr Kutuny said, 'It's now evident that there are two groups of Jubilee Party in Rift Valley after the Friday incident. Those who voted against the party decision during the removal of Senator Kindiki are not committed to the party, and it shows that they are out to please their master, not like us who are after championing the people-driven agenda.'
Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos had earlier said the DP's 2020 presidential bid was doomed to fail if he continued associating himself with leaders who were 'chest-thumping'. 'The calibre of leaders the DP associates himself will kill his State House bid. The likes of Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and the Uasin Gishu woman representative are not people who can advise a leader to make it politically.'
However, Senator Samson Cherargey said he was not party to the changes that he described as 'illegal and immoral', adding that if the removal of the DP's allies from key posts would make the President work for Kenyans, he was not ready to work with him.
