- He joined the party in 2021 and immediately got appointed as the deputy party leader.
- Jimmy had been tipped to be the carrier of his father’s political torch.
Image: HANDOUT
Former President Mwai Kibaki's son Jimmy has resigned as deputy party leader of The New Democrats.
Jimmy, known to be a heavy behind-the-scene political player, said he opted to quit to devote his time to what he described as "urgent family and business matters".
His resignation however comes at a time new realignments loom in Mount Kenya with the Limuru III meeting scheduled for Friday.
In a statement on Wednesday, Jimmy said he was leaving The New Democrats party “after a lot of thought, consideration and soul-searching.”
He joined the party in 2021 and immediately got appointed as the deputy party leader.
“At this time in my life, it has become apparent to me that I need to devote all my time to urgent family and business matters that require my full attention. Consequently, and after a lot of thought, consideration, and soul-searching, it is incumbent upon me to tender my immediate resignation as the TND Deputy Party Leader. This is not an easy decision, but I feel it is one I must make.”
Jimmy said he has been directly involved in the political dynamics in the country since the re-introduction of multiparty politics, explaining that he worked closely with like-minded people to propel his father to power in 2002.
“Over the past 33 years, I have been intimately involved in various political initiatives in this country, including the formation and management of various political parties,” he said.
“In 1991, several like-minded people came together to form the Democratic Party of Kenya. Together, we built this organisation into a respected political party which performed admirably in the 1992 and 1997 general elections.
"Subsequently, I was involved in the National Rainbow Alliance, which went on to capture political power in the 2002 general election. I have also been involved in the creation and management of the Party of National Unity.”
Jimmy had been tipped to be the carrier of his father’s political torch and at some point in the run up to the 2022 presidential election, some pundits touted him as a possible running mate to key presidential contenders.
Unlike the Kenyatta family, the Kibaki household did not openly back any presidential candidate in the 2022 polls.
Jimmy said in a past interview that as part of the Kibaki legacy, they would establish Mwai Kibaki presidential library at Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri.
When asked in a 2023 interview why he did not run for Othaya parliamentary seat in 2022, he said Kenyan politics was "too hectic and noisy."
"Kenya politics is very hectic and noisy. Is that what I want for myself now? You reach a point in your life where the quality of your life becomes very important," he said.
To those asking him to engage in active politics and take up his father's space, Jimmy thinks that "the people should start by asking that does Jimmy want to engage in politics?"
"No one has ever looked at it from a personal view and asked, does Jimmy want to be a politician? People tend to want the same life for the children of a successful politician, especially one who have gone all the way to become a politician."