Coup against Uhuru? Ruto-leaning officials take over Jubilee Party

Interim Jubilee Party officials formally took over the former ruling outfit on Wednesday in what appears to be a coup against their party leader, former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

A faction led by East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) MP Kanini Kega visited Jubilee’s new offices in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, and toured the premises in a move that has essentially snatched the party away from the former Head of State.

The officials inspected the boardroom and other offices but could not access the secretary-general’s office, which was locked.

Police officers were deployed to the premises during the visit, which came barely a day after the Registrar of Political Parties, Ms Anne Nderitu, approved the ouster of Jeremiah Kioni, David Murathe and Kagwe Gichohi as secretary-general, vice chairman and national treasurer, respectively.

“We have come here as the National Executive Committee (NEC) and MPs of Jubilee Party, following communication by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, that our meeting held in Nakuru was properly convened,” said Mr Kega.

“The meeting resolved that the party should have new leaders. We came here today and expected to meet the outgoing team, but none of them are here. We are here legally and we will follow all the due processes,” he added.

The Nakuru NEC meeting settled on Mr Kega as its interim secretary-general while Eldas MP Adan Keynan and his Kitui South counterpart Rachel Nyamai were picked as acting vice chair and national treasurer, respectively.

The officials said they would be seeking to have Jubilee recognised as an independent parliamentary party in a move aimed at reclaiming its slot in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).

The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition has Mavoko MP Patrick Makau (Wiper), his Likoni counterpart Mishi Mboko (ODM) and Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni (ODM) in the powerful seven-member commission.

Jubilee had nominated Sirisia MP John Waluke but his name was omitted at the submission stage because he was in jail at the time.

Jubilee has 29 members in the National Assembly and five in the Senate.

Mr Keynan claimed their coalition partners duped them in the sharing of the positions, while describing the partnership as toxic.

“We have been cohabiting with our partners in Azimio. Having done an audit, we have realised that we have been duped. We have lost all our positions; parliamentary leadership, committees, the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) …,” said Mr Keynan.

“We want to be recognised as an independent parliamentary party because we are the third largest political party in the 13th Parliament. We will also start a process through the legally provided channels of exiting that family that is not working. We have also asked our officials to keep away from the rallies by Azimio,” he added.