The government wants to unite all communities by 2017 to form a single political party devoid of tribalism, Deputy President William Ruto has said.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Citizen on Friday, Ruto underlined that the Jubilee administration is committed to serving Kenya.
“We want to form one party, a national party, so no party has a majority of its members from a particular community,” he said.
“We want to mould one Kenya. We want to develop one Kenya, realise one Kenya and be one united country.”
The last time Kenya had a single party was during former President Daniel arap Moi’s regime.
It is not clear whether the DP was referring to the Jubilee Alliance Party.
JAP was unveiled in January ahead of the next general election, following the merger of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA and Ruto’s URP.
It is expected that Uhuru and Ruto will use the party to defend their seats on a joint ticket at the 2017 poll.
Kericho Senator Charles Keter and Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau were spearheading the merger of the two parties.
But senior officials who were campaigning for the merger have taken a low profile following the poor performance during the Kajiado Central by-election in March.
In June, senior officials working on the merger, which was to the concluded by the end of the year, said the process had been halted for further consultation.
Insiders told the Star JAP leadership and strategists were asked to retreat to the drawing board and re-strategise following cold feet in Ruto’s political backyard, the Rift Valley.
But JAP vice chairman David Murathe expressed confidence that the merger will eventually happen as planned.
Cord, led by Raila Odinga, is a strong contender for the 2017 election.
There were talks of parties merging under the leadership of Raila, and Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula under Cord.
– the-star.co.ke
