Jubilee's defining moment as Uhuru leads delagates conference

The former ruling Jubilee Party will chart its path today in a Special National Delegates Conference led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the party leader.

A notice issued by Uhuru on September 3 stated that the conference will receive a status report from the National Executive Committee, as well as review, formulate and approve its constitution, organs, policies and programmes, and consider and approve any other matters. The Standard has also learnt that the party will initiate an exit from the moribund Azimio coalition.

Jubilee has been a member of Azimio, whose chairperson was Uhuru, while Raila Odinga was the party leader and the coalition’s presidential candidate in the 2022 elections.

The party will also welcome former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who has reportedly joined Jubilee. Insiders say he will assume the position of party leader towards the 2027 General Election.

“The issue of Dr Matiang’i joining the party will be discussed, and proposals to have him as the deputy party leader in preparation for Uhuru’s retirement from the party leadership in the future. He will hand the mantle to Matiang’i ahead of the 2027 elections,” a source said.

At the same time, vacant positions in the party leadership will be discussed, including how to deal with Nominated MP Sabina Chege and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega, who dethroned Uhuru as the party leader and attempted to change party officials.

Jubilee’s woes began after the Sabina-Kega faction obtained a favourable verdict at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) in May 2023, challenging the legitimacy of the National Delegates Conference at the Ngong Racecourse.

The faction later removed Uhuru as the party leader and replaced him with Sabina, while also replacing the party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni and other National Executive Council officials.

However, on June 12 this year, Uhuru regained full control of the party’s leadership after a High Court ruling that validated key resolutions made during the National Delegates Convention (NDC) in May 2023, led by Uhuru.

“The resolutions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and the National Delegates Convention (NDC) held on 28th April and 22nd May 2023 respectively, be conveyed to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) for adoption,” the ruling reads in part.

The ruling is the latest blow to the Kanini Kega-led faction, which had previously secured a favourable verdict in a vigorous court battle over the party’s leadership. The court reinstated Kioni as Secretary General and Saitoti Torome as National Chairperson.

Yesterday, Kioni said all elected leaders were free to attend the National Delegates Conference as they were automatic delegates. On whether Chege and Kega had been invited, Kioni said: “The elected leaders need not have a special invitation; they are free to attend and hear what members want.”

Kioni, who spoke after inspecting the grounds, said they were expecting 1,200 delegates to represent seven million Jubilee members from across the country.

“It will be a historic day not only for our party members but for the country at large, since Uhuru is a former Head of State and the country is anxious to hear him give us the political direction. We want to know where we shall go from here,” Kioni said.

He clarified that they had not invited non-Jubilee members, including Opposition leaders, saying the courts had guided parties on how to conduct their affairs. “Having gone through incessant court battles, we have realised that if you have your party organs meeting, you should only invite your organs’ members, as others will be described by the courts as strangers,” he said.

He added that after the NDC, officials will embark on a robust reinvigoration of the party from the grassroots, highlighting the gains and legacy projects initiated by Uhuru during his tenure as President.