The power struggle within Jubilee Party has taken a dramatic legal turn after the filing of a fresh case at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) by former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu challenging leadership changes sanctioned by the party associated with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
What began as a dispute over internal appointments has now evolved into a full-blown legal battle over transparency, member rights and the future direction of the Jubilee Party.
” I have moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) to challenge recent leadership changes within Jubilee Party and the decision by the Registrar of Political Parties to recognize those changes. This is after months of seeking answers on the qualifications of proposed officials, the authority under which appointments were being made and the constitutional processes being followed,” Wambugu said on Saturday.
The former legislator has complained to the PPDT, accusing both Jubilee and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) of failing to uphold legal and governance standards during the appointment process.
Wambugu’s challenge raises questions on whether officials can assume office before statutory approval is completed, whether members have a right to information regarding party decisions, and whether internal dispute resolution mechanisms can be considered independent when beneficiaries of contested appointments participate in the process.
The case comes at a sensitive moment for Jubilee.
Once Kenya’s most powerful political machine, Jubilee has spent the last four years grappling with an identity crisis following President William Ruto’s victory in the 2022 General Election and the subsequent collapse of the political alliance that brought Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto to power in 2013 and 2017.
Since leaving State House, Uhuru has sought to reposition Jubilee as a key player within the opposition space through Dr Fred Matiang’i as the party’s sole presidential candidate. The party has aligned itself with the united opposition while simultaneously attempting to reinvent itself ahead of the 2027 elections.
That transition, however, has not been smooth.
The emergence of Dr. Fred Matiang’i as a potential opposition presidential candidate has injected new energy into Jubilee but has also intensified internal competition over who controls the party and how major decisions are made.
Some sources within the party contend that the dispute may be much more than appointments.
“This is essentially a battle over who owns Jubilee’s future,” said one Nairobi-based political analyst familiar with the party’s internal dynamics.
“The legal arguments may focus on procedure, but the political question is about succession, influence and control as the party positions itself for 2027.”
According to documents filed before the tribunal, Wambugu began raising concerns in March over the legality of proposed leadership changes, the composition of the party’s National Executive Committee and the process through which Jubilee intends to identify its 2027 presidential candidate.
The former MP argues that repeated requests for information from both the party and the Registrar were ignored.
Among the issues raised is the allegation that some officials began performing duties associated with their proposed offices before the legal registration process had been concluded. The complaint cites instances where certain leaders allegedly participated in party functions and public events while already being presented as office holders despite the statutory approval process still being ongoing.
The challenge also questions whether all appointees met the constitutional and membership requirements necessary to hold office within the party.
The case is likely to place renewed scrutiny on Uhuru Kenyatta’s leadership of Jubilee.
While the former president remains the party leader and retains significant influence over its direction, some party members have increasingly questioned the state of internal democracy within the party.
Some officials have complained privately about what they describe as unilateral decision-making and limited consultation on key political decisions, excluding ordinary party members’ input.
Supporters of the current leadership, however, argue that Jubilee is undergoing a necessary restructuring process as it seeks to rebuild after losing power.
The tribunal cases are expected to test whether those reforms were conducted within the confines of both the law and the party constitution.
Implications Beyond Jubilee
The significance of the case extends beyond a single political party.
Legal experts say the case outcome could establish important precedent on the rights of ordinary party members, transparency obligations of political parties and the oversight role of the Registrar of Political Parties.
The tribunal is effectively being asked to determine whether political parties can implement leadership changes before completing statutory procedures and whether members can compel party leaders to disclose information relating to governance decisions.
The tribunal proceedings are expected to begin in the coming weeks after fresh complaints and appeals filed by Wambugu were formally served on the relevant parties.
