Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama now claims President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto formed Jubilee Party after 'stealing' the idea from him.
The political outfit was formed on September 7, 2016, following the merging of Uhuru's TNA party, Ruto's United Republican Party (URP) and nine other parties.
Muthama claimed the Jubilee leaders got the idea to form the party after his proposal to merge affiliate parties of the National Super Alliance (NASA) was rejected.
The opposition coalition constituted Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Amani National Congress (ANC) Wiper Democratic Movement of Kenya (WDM-K) and FORD-Kenya.
“I called for the making of our coalition into a single party and whereas the coalition did not pick, Jubilee stole the idea and ran with it,” said Muthama, who was co-chair of the NASA steering committee.
Speaking to Sunday Standard, the former lawmaker said he still believed in the existence of few major and strong parties, arguing they were the solution to the deep-rooted problem of tribalism.
Muthama, despite being a fierce critic of the Jubilee party, hoped it won't disintegrate amid the heated politics pitting the Kieleweke and Tanga Tanga factions.
“Big parties are good for the country, they kill tribalism and become issue-based. I deeply supported the merger of Jubilee and I hope it remains formidable and intact,” the ex-senator said.