KINDIKI, KIRAITU RIVALRY EXPLODES

President Uhuru Kenyatta has moved to consolidate his support in the Mt Kenya East region urging locals to unite under one political party. The President took the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) to the doorstep of Kiraitu Murungi's Alliance Party of Kenya (APK), saying division along party lines would be costly. Accompanied by his Deputy William Ruto, several MPs and senators, Uhuru emphasised the need for Jubilee Alliance to remain intact. This happened even as it emerged JAP is forming a summit that will bring together at least four other parties besides URP and TNA. The summit will be the top decision making organ in the Jubilee Alliance and all parties under this umbrella will be represented in the summit and have equal voting powers on any matter related to the coalition. Membership to the party is drawn from President Kenyatta's The National Alliance (TNA), Deputy President William Ruto's United Republican Party (URP), Ford People, New Ford Kenya, United Democratic Party, Grand National Union and Alliance Party of Kenya. Proposed summit members are President Kenyatta, his deputy Ruto, UDF party leader Musalia Mudavadi, former Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, Senator Kiraitu Murungi, former Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri and former Minister Henry Obwocha. See also: Kanu not seeking political 'marriage' now, says Salat Asked for a comment, Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau who played a crucial role in the formation of JAP, would not divulge much except to say, "JAP would want to bring together as many people as possible." Although legislator Moses Sakuda said formation of a Jubilee summit has since become a reality in accommodating interested political parties, Senator Charles Keter said JAP will hold elections after all the parties have merged. However, Mudavadi denied knowledge of the merger saying, "In any case I am concentrating on my party," he said this through his personal assistant Joshua Shitikho. Similarly, Ford People's leader Obwocha distanced himself from the claims: "I have called a party meeting next month to discuss this matter. We have issues with Jubilee, we were originally with them but after the elections they have never spoken to us. How do they expect us to co-operate? It is not business as usual," he said. But as Uhuru was insisting on unity, the supremacy battles pitting Meru Senator Kiraitu and his Tharaka Nithi counterpart Prof Kithure Kindiki played out during Kenyatta's visit in the region yesterday. In what appeared to be a well-rehearsed script, local MPs declared before Kenyatta and his deputy that Kiraitu was the undisputed leader of the Ameru "and anyone seeking to talk to the Meru must do so through him