PPDT Decision To Confirm Kega, Sabina As Bonafide Leaders Of Jubilee Party was Anchored in Law
The Mt Kenya Times 
Jubilee Party interim Secretary General Kanini Kega and interim Party Leader Sabina Chege
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- As you are aware, our party is a top affiliate of Azimio La Umoja-OKA Coalition. Top leaders of the coalition led by Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua attended the NDC.
- Uhuru ruled out relinguishing his position as the party leader.
- I have opted to stay on in order to show the other side (read Kenya Kwanza and Kega’s faction) that I’m not a pushover.
- They have been issuing threats and insults to me. The other day goons invaded our land and stole our sheep. Uhuru cannot be shakened by this. Let them look for another person not Uhuru Wa Kenyatta.
- The push and pull in the Jubilee party started soon after President Uhuru retired after completing his final and second term in office.
The law is a double-edged sword. It cuts on both sides. This is how the Jubilee Party Deputy Secretary General Joshua Kutuny summarized the decision by the political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) to confirm East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Kanini Kega and Nominated MP Sabina Chege as the bonafide top leaders of the Jubilee Party.
In a ruling to a petition filed by Former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni and his team, the PPDT ruled that Kega, Sabina team had followed the due process of law in effecting the new changes.
As a tribunal, we concur with the decision by the Registrar of Political Parties (RPP) that the latter two were the bonafide leaders of the party.
Kioni’s faction that comprised Vice Chair David Murathe and Treasurer Kangwe Gichohi had filed a counter-suit seeking to overturn the decision of the Registrar.
For the three key allies of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, it was a double-jeopardy. Apart being ousted, the Tribunal ordered them to pay the legal cost of the appeal to the Registrar Anne Nderitu.
In the new changes, Sabina replaces Uhuru Kenyatta as the party leader and Kanini Kega replaces Kioni as the Secretary General.
The decision by the Tribunal was a big blow to the former President. During the party National delegates conference (NDC) he had chaired a few months earlier, he excluded total confidence to three officials, now ousted.
He stated: These officials led by Kioni have been steering the party in the right direction.
As you are aware, our party is a top affiliate of Azimio La Umoja-OKA Coalition. Top leaders of the coalition led by Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua attended the NDC.
Uhuru ruled out relinguishing his position as the party leader.
I have opted to stay on in order to show the other side (read Kenya Kwanza and Kega’s faction) that I’m not a pushover.
They have been issuing threats and insults to me. The other day goons invaded our land and stole our sheep. Uhuru cannot be shakened by this. Let them look for another person not Uhuru Wa Kenyatta.
The push and pull in the Jubilee party started soon after President Uhuru retired after completing his final and second term in office.
He consequently handed over the instruments of power to newly elected President William Ruto.
In the countdown to the 2022 general election, he abandoned Dr Ruto, his deputy, and threw his full weight behind the candidature of Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
This young man Ruto can wait. For now this mzee (Raila Odinga) is the right person to succeed me because he means well for the country.
His project lost and many thought he would abandon him after the elections. The first step being to relinguish his position as the chairman of the Azimio Council. This did not come to pass.
Up to date, it is widely believed that he was still pushing the agenda of Azimio leader.
I’m sure many would recall the remarks he made in Kisumu town after attending the burial of former Education CS George Magoha in Siaya.
Flanked by Raila, he said. Baba is my leader and I’m loyal to him. Besides, I remain as an active member of the Azimio. I only retired as a President. I’m not tired.
Some weeks later, a group of the leaders from Mount Kenyans claimed that Uhuru was the key financier of Raila’s demonstrations. Uhuru have since remained non-committal.
For Kanini Kega Kega-led faction, it was not a matter of whether they will win the battle or not. It was a matter of when the ruling on the correct interpretation of the constitution of the party and national constitution would be delivered.
This is because they always argued thier case while citing the relevant provisions of the law.
This started when they convened the first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Nakuru.
The turnout was high and exceeded the quorum by far. For the Kenyatta team, they seemingly suffered from what I would call ‘a big man syndrome’.
Notably, the decision by former President to continue holding on his position in Azimio was being interpreted as utter violation of the law. This is because the provisions of Presidential Retirement Act 2012 required the outgoing President to relinguish his position 6 months after leaving office.
Therefore, one can understand where those telling Uhuru that he risks losing his lucrative package were coming from.
After the PPDT ruling, I listened to comments made by Kega and Joshua. We respect the former President and wish him well. We still consider him to be a member of our party.
He is free to come back but this can only happens if he abandons Azimio. Jubilee is no longer an affiliate of the opposition Coalition. We followed the due process when quitting.
As I conclude, I want to give Kioni faction a free advise. If you are contemplating moving to the High Court to challenge the decision of PPDT, stop wasting your time. You cannot win. When delivering their rulings, the judicial officers are guided by the constitution, statutory laws and facts not politics.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Mt Kenya Times ePAPER June 8, 2026
- Diaspora Times Global June 7 – June 13, 2026
- Court nullifies Maraga’s advisory on dissolution of parliament over gender rule
- The Uzbeks of the Year 2100
- Gachagua blasts 2026/27 Budget and Finance Bill
About the Author
