Uhuru Kenyatta, CGH, the 4th President of the Republic of Kenya and Party Leader of the Jubilee Party, has been praised for his courageous and inclusive leadership during his tenure, particularly in efforts to steer the country away from ethnically polarized politics.
In a message of gratitude addressed to the former Head of State, a former Jubilee Party official expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the party’s Secretary General from 2016 to 2022.
The acknowledgment highlighted the historic significance of Uhuru’s decision to appoint someone from the Luo community to a key position in a party traditionally anchored by the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities.
“It was an exceptionally bold political step on your part to have entrusted this sensitive position to me…while the anchor of the party was essentially the Kikuyu and Kalenjin tribes,” the former Secretary General stated.
“Naively, many of us in the Jubilee expedition had thought and dreamed that we could build a national party and a country that could make a transition from politics defined by ethnic mobilization and polarization.”
Reflecting on Kenya’s political history, the former party official noted parallels between their political journeys.
Uhuru Kenyatta was once rejected in his home constituency of Gatundu South for allegedly “not being Kikuyu enough” when he vied on a KANU ticket.
Similarly, the former Secretary General recalled losing the Rarieda parliamentary race after facing accusations of “not being Luo enough” due to his association with President Mwai Kibaki’s PNU party.
The statement further noted the impact of the 2018 handshake between Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, which was intended to unite the country after a divisive election.
While the move created significant internal friction within the Jubilee Party particularly between its Kikuyu and Kalenjin factions the former Secretary General credited Uhuru for his transparent leadership.
“To your credit, you shared with me and President Ruto the rationale for the handshake as being a way of building bridges and stabilizing the country after the hostility of Raila swearing as the ‘People’s President,’” the message read.
The letter underscored the challenges faced in trying to redefine Kenya’s political landscape and applauded Uhuru’s efforts to promote unity beyond tribal lines, even when such moves came at great political cost.
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