President Uhuru Kenyatta is said to have yet again snubbed Deputy President William Ruto as the crisis within Jubilee administration continues to escalate.
Last week, the Nation reports, Uhuru reached out to DP Ruto and asked him to mobilise Jubilee MPs to support amendment to Public Finance Management act on borrowing to Sh9 trillion.
While Dr Ruto agreed to whip the MPs, he asked the president to call for a Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting on Tuesday. Also, the DP asked him to don in Jubilee T-shirt in solidarity with Kibra by-election candidate McDonald Mariga.
But Uhuru, sensing blackmail, reached out to opposition leader Raila Odinga and asked him to persuade opposition MPs to support the amendment.
“It’s true the President reached out to Mr Odinga who assured him of his support, because it was politically strategic for him not to go the PG way,” said a senior opposition MP, who did not want to be named because he was involved in the matter.
However, Mr Ruto’s spokesman David Mugonyi disputed the claims, saying he was unaware of the plans for a planned PG and reminding the Nation it could not claim to know it either as the discussions, if any, were between the President and his deputy.
“You cannot claim to be aware of a conversation between the President and his deputy,” Mr Mugonyi said.
Majority Leader Aden Duale confirmed intentions to hold a Jubilee PG but conceded that he had to reach out to the opposition team for a backup.
“I was for the PG but I opted to give bipartisanship a chance,” Mr Duale said, adding: “I am happy that when I approached both Mr John Mbadi and Junet Mohamed, they embraced the idea. The moment I got their assurances, the push for a PG was rendered needless and I abandoned the idea. They also abandoned the push for their own PG.”
With Uhuru having given up on Ruto's support, Mr Odinga is said to have reached out to John Mbadi, Junet Mohamed and Otiende Amollo, asking them to support the president.
Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, Mbadi conceded that there were consultations within the party before the debate in parliament, after which a common position was adopted.
“There were consultations within the party and we felt that there was no problem raising the debt ceiling," he said, refusing to be drawn to Uhuru-Raila phone call.
During the debate in Parliament, MPs allied to DP William Ruto led by Kimani Ichung'wah opposed the amendment but the team leaning to Uhuru and Raila carried the day.
Uhuru has been keen to avoid holding PG among Jubilee leaders, with his handlers arguing that it could ruin his handshake with Raila Odinga.