The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ruling on nullifying Koitalel Ole Kenta’s appointment as Jubilee Party Secretary-General has handed Ngunjiri Wambugu a powerful political opening and renewed his push for a National Delegates Convention (NDC).
Wambugu welcomed the ruling on Friday, saying it vindicated concerns he had raised for months over the legality and procedure used to overhaul Jubilee’s leadership.
The former Nyeri MP had questioned Kenta’s eligibility, among other aspects of the proposed leadership changes, arguing that consequential decisions affecting the party could not be made outside its constitution, the law and established party organs.
The Tribunal has now ruled that Kenta was not a registered Jubilee member at the time of his appointment, rendering the appointment invalid.
For Wambugu, the significance goes beyond Kenta. His argument is that if the party got something as fundamental as the appointment of its Secretary-General wrong, then Jubilee should examine the wider process that produced the leadership changes.
“If we could get something as fundamental as who our Secretary-General is wrong, what else within our leadership processes requires review?” Wambugu asks.
Wambugu is also careful not to turn the Tribunal decision into a personal victory over Kenta. He says the issue was never about individuals but about protecting the institutional integrity of Jubilee.
The former MP argues that those advising the party leader and processing decisions on behalf of Jubilee carry the responsibility of ensuring that every decision is legally, constitutionally and procedurally sound.
The ruling, therefore, leaves Jubilee with a choice, to treat the Kenta decision as an isolated procedural error and replace him, or use the moment to reopen the wider question of how the party’s leadership was constituted and Wambugu is firmly backing the second option.
He wants Jubilee to convene a National Delegates Convention, allowing party organs and delegates to review the leadership structure, regularise disputed appointments and give the party a fresh political mandate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
