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DP Ruto allies kicked out of Jubilee Asili headquarters


Deputy President William Ruto’s camp was forced to shelve its plan to operationalise his command centre — Jubilee Asili — after the owner of the building reportedly asked them to leave.

Allies of the DP wanted Jubilee Asili Centre in Kilimani, Nairobi, to act as the DP’s 2022 presidential campaigns nerve centre.

Isolated in government and the ruling Jubilee Party, Dr Ruto is now trying to retreat to what his strategists call ‘safe zones.’

The Sunday Nation established that the DP’s team wanted the office on Makindi Road to fill the gap created by their lack of access to the Jubilee headquarters in Pangani.

A spot check by the Sunday Nation yesterday established that the Jubilee Asili Centre was desolate with no activity at in the recent past.

At the gate, there was not security guard and even the Jubilee Asili banner had been removed. The guard’s room was full of dust.

Inside the compound, there was a Hyundai car packed, some tiles lying on the left side of the compound and chairs left unattended.

Dr Ruto’s attempt recently to use Jubilee Party headquarters, where he looked forward to meeting top party officials, flopped after he failed to meet the party’s secretary general Raphael Tuju and top other officials in the office.

Consultative meeting

The party’s National Management Committee (NMC), following a consultative meeting, according to party secretary-general Mr Tuju, had banned Dr Ruto from using Jubilee Party headquarters for his 2022 campaign meetings.

The party organ also barred Ruto from holding any political meetings at the party offices.

“The NMC has recommended to NEC that the DP ceases to be deputy party leader after he opened the so-called Jubilee Asili offices that are reserved for him and his allies until such a time this development of the Jubilee Asili is discussed at the NEC,” Mr Tuju.

The plan to make Jubilee Asili Centre fully functional by the end of last August was set aside after some of those roped in to spearhead its visibility and use were hospitalised as a result of Covid-19.

Sources within DP’s circles told the Sunday Nation that there had been a protracted push and pull between the landlord and the Tangatanga brigade. The landlord has reportedly informed Ruto’s people that the house cannot be used for political activities.

The landlord has been piling pressure on them for the last two months to vacate.

The tangatanga politicians have accused some state operatives of intimidating the building’s owner to terminate the lease agreement with the DP’s faction.

Embarrassing situation

“We are tussling with the owner, the government has told the owner to throw us out and he has requested us to leave, but we are still negotiating. This drama started approximately two months ago and that is why we decided to lie low as we try to reach some agreement,” said an MP who sought anonymity.

“The landlord is in an embarrassing situation because he is being bullied by being told that a number of his things will go wrong and he has not processed the change of user. The government is using all means to frustrate our landlord and scuttle our plans for 2022. We were ready to buy the building but he has been reluctant to sell it to us…. we do not wish to reveal him,” he added.