Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has resigned from the Jubilee Party, where he served as the Secretary General from 2016 to 2022.
In a letter dated August 19 and addressed to the party leader Uhuru Kenyatta, Tuju stated that his decision to exit the party came following his realisation that he was no longer adding value to the outfit.
“I still look forward to working with you in future. However, at present, I see no more value that I can add to the Jubilee Party. I therefore tender my resignation,” he wrote.
“Please accept my best wishes for your well-being and the Party,” he added.
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Tuju became the first Secretary General when the party was formed in 2016 after 11 political parties allied with the Jubilee Coalition collapsed and formed the Jubilee Party, a giant vehicle that Uhuru Kenyatta could use against Raila Odinga in the 2017 presidential contest.
He stepped down ahead of the 2022 elections after consultations with then-President Kenyatta, paving the way for Jeremiah Kioni, but was retained at the executive level of the party’s management.
Despite the achievements of the Jubilee administration, Tuju expressed regret over their failure to uproot tribalism from the country’s politics.
“It was an exceptionally bold political step on your part to have entrusted this sensitive position to me as a person coming from the Luo tribe, while the anchor of the party was essentially the Kikuyu and Kalenjin tribes,” he remarked.
Additionally, Tuju defended President William Ruto’s broad-based government arrangement with ODM leader Raila Odinga, saying that it was necessary for the nation’s stability following the deadly Gen Z protests.
According to him, the political decision was similar to the 2018 shock handshake between Odinga and Kenyatta, which he blamed for creating cracks in their party and sparking hostilities between himself and then Deputy President Ruto.
“In the ever-evolving ironies of Kenyan politics, after the Gen-Z riots of 2024, President Ruto, now bearing the full responsibility of the weight of carrying the state, had to make compromises and do exactly what you had done in 2018: A handshake with Raila Odinga,” he said.
The former Rarieda MP called on Kenyans to tackle rising youth unemployment and fight for dignified incomes instead of constant tribal competitions.
“And I think it is good to be naive like our Gen Zs. I believe that a time is coming when the Kenyans will be able to come together to confront the challenges of the youth population bulge that we talked about so many times,” he stated.
Tuju was also appointed as the Executive Director of the Azimio La Umoja – One Kenya Coalition in 2022.
While his political engagements have been greatly scaled down following the exit of the Jubilee government, Tuju has recently been involved in a dispute with judges of the Supreme Court, whom he accuses of corruption.
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Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has resigned from the Jubilee Party, where he served as the Secretary General from 2016 to 2022.
In a letter dated August 19 and addressed to the party leader Uhuru Kenyatta, Tuju stated that his decision to exit the party came following his realisation that he was no longer adding value to the outfit.
“I still look forward to working with you in future. However, at present, I see no more value that I can add to the Jubilee Party. I therefore tender my resignation,” he wrote.
“Please accept my best wishes for your well-being and the Party,” he added.
Follow The Standard
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on WhatsApp
Tuju became the first Secretary General when the party was formed in 2016 after 11 political parties allied with the Jubilee Coalition collapsed and formed the Jubilee Party, a giant vehicle that Uhuru Kenyatta could use against Raila Odinga in the 2017 presidential contest.
He stepped down ahead of the 2022 elections after consultations with then-President Kenyatta, paving the way for Jeremiah Kioni, but was retained at the executive level of the party’s management.
Despite the achievements of the Jubilee administration, Tuju expressed regret over their failure to uproot tribalism from the country’s politics.
“It was an exceptionally bold political step on your part to have entrusted this sensitive position to me as a person coming from the Luo tribe, while the anchor of the party was essentially the Kikuyu and Kalenjin tribes,” he remarked.
Additionally, Tuju defended President William Ruto’s broad-based government arrangement with ODM leader Raila Odinga, saying that it was necessary for the nation’s stability following the deadly Gen Z protests.
According to him, the political decision was similar to the 2018 shock handshake between Odinga and Kenyatta, which he blamed for creating cracks in their party and sparking hostilities between himself and then Deputy President Ruto.
“In the ever-evolving ironies of Kenyan politics, after the Gen-Z riots of 2024, President Ruto, now bearing the full responsibility of the weight of carrying the state, had to make compromises and do exactly what you had done in 2018: A handshake with Raila Odinga,” he said.
The former Rarieda MP called on Kenyans to tackle rising youth unemployment and fight for dignified incomes instead of constant tribal competitions.
“And I think it is good to be naive like our Gen Zs. I believe that a time is coming when the Kenyans will be able to come together to confront the challenges of the youth population bulge that we talked about so many times,” he stated.
Tuju was also appointed as the Executive Director of the Azimio La Umoja – One Kenya Coalition in 2022.
While his political engagements have been greatly scaled down following the exit of the Jubilee government, Tuju has recently been involved in a dispute with judges of the Supreme Court, whom he accuses of corruption.
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By Denis Omondi