David Murathe has stepped down from his role as Jubilee Party Vice Chairperson.
Addressing journalists from his Garden Estate home in Nairobi, Murathe disclosed that he could no longer sit in the same National Executive Council with Deputy President William Ruto.
"I now find that it is no longer tenable to stay on as the party vice-chairman, given that I will have to sit in the same National Executive Council with a man I am taking to court to block from running for president." He stated.
He however stood by his Saturday remarks in which he insited that DP Ruto should not vie in 2022 and threatened to go to the Supreme Court to block his bid.
"When I speak, I speak only as David Murathe and any views I have are my own. I do not take brief from anyone and I am disappointed that people are trying to construe this as the position of President Uhuru Kenyatta," he clarified.
The embattled former Gatanga lawmalker made it known that Ruto has no pact with the Jubilee Party in regard to his 2022 bid, challenging anyone with facts to the contrary to present them.
“MoUs are public documents, and today I want to dare those that say there exists such a thing between Ruto and the president to produce it,” he said.
He stated that he made the remarks "to help avoid problems in 2022", adding that "If our deputy party leader was to lose the election to say, Raila, or Mudavadi, and the discussion becomes 'I lost because they did not vote for me, even after I supported them for two terms', there would be chaos. We want people to know this early - that there is no guarantee to support anyone in 2022."
Murathe on why DP Ruto should not contest in 2022
On Saturday, Murathe insisted that DP Ruto should retire along with President Kenyatta in 2022, failure to which he would head to the Supreme court in an attempt to bar the DP from vying for the Presidency.
While addressing mourners in Rarieda during the burial of Kefa Tuju, a tough talking Murathe warned that they are no longer taking it as a laughing matter and threatened that he would head to the Supreme court should the DP fail to retire in 2022.
According to Murathe, the Presidency involves two people (with the DP holding fort for the President whenever the President is not around as was the case when President Uhuru Kenyatta left DP Ruto in charge as he headed to the ICC) which means the two cannot run for either of the two posts after the completion of their two terms.
“If the President is not here, then who is President? Si ni deputy?...In effect, if he automatically becomes president without going for the mandate from the mwananchi(citizen) then that is why 148 says you cannot run again. Na nitaenda mpaka Supreme Court. Sisi hatucheki na watu.” Murathe affirmed.