The former ruling Jubilee Party has finally secured an alternative venue to host its National Delegates conference after failing to get the Bomas of Kenya.
The party leadership is in unfamiliar grounds after the emergence of two rival factions and the planned NDC is meant to put its house in order. And this time round, the party leaders are keeping cards close to their chest on the new venue.
On Thursday, the party's acting executive director Polycarp Hinga said the NDC will go on as scheduled and asked members to prepare for the big event.
"Musichochwe. Our Jubilee party NDC is on, as scheduled for the 22nd of May. Be wary of nefarious characters out there," Hinga said.
He warned Jubilee members to be wary not to be misled on attendance of the NDC saying they are not dishing out money to have people attend as members or delegates.
"Please note that as a party, we are not involved in any collection of names or monies ahead of the NDC. Our Jubilee Party delegates are known to the party and will be invited in a structured manner. Do not fall for these scams," he said.
The party was locked out of the iconic Bomas of Kenya that has recently been hosting the bipartisan team, with the management informing the former President Uhuru Kenyatta's party that the main auditorium is under renovation.
"Our main auditorium, whose capacity is 2,000 pax, has been scheduled for renovation works from 16th May 2023 for eight (8) weeks," the statement addressed to Hinga, stated.
And as they say, when it rains it pours, the party could not also book any other spaces within Bomas as they are fully booked for the coming days.
The letter said: "In view of the foregoing, we are regrettably unable to host you for your NDC."
The party had declared its intention to convene the meeting to sort out wrangles that have in some instances seemed to be getting out of control. The former ruling party has remained largely divided with numerous 'defections' as the fleeing members pledged their support to President William Ruto's administration which has in turn seen some dewhipped from top house leadership of both the Senate and the National Assembly
Wrangles that saw the party divided into factions with one unit headed by Eala MP Kanini Kega as the acting Secretary General, claims to have ousted Kenyatta as the party leader replacing him with Nominated MP Sabina Chege.
The NDC has been a highly anticipated political event with indications that the former president would finally do some housekeeping.
But Kega described the NDC as illegal since those are not party officials. He said Kenyatta cannot convene any meeting.
"His letters have no force of law because the minute you cease to operate in an office nothing will come out of what you sign. What he is doing is just embarrassing himself," Kega said.
He added that the move by Bomas is a clear indication that they were not even well prepared for anything like a meeting stating that the right procedure of convening an NDC was not used.
"It now just seems that once they confirmed the NDC but they did not confirm the venue but as Jubilee we have no plans for any NDC. An NDC is a culmination of grassroots activities which has so far not taken place in our party," he said.
The other faction which has support of the former President is led by former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni. The wrangles seemed to have forced Kenyatta to speak out for the first time in public about the wrangles since his retirement asking the party members to follow party organs to work out their differences.
"We shall have our meeting and the membership of the party will decide the future of the party and we do not need to be governed or pushed by the police. We will in the end make our decision,'' he said in Nairobi last month.
Uhuru who identified Kioni as his secretary general, commended him for fighting for the party. "I have personally decided to come stand with him (Kioni) and our supporters to defend our rights,'' he said at the Jubilee headquarters.
He also tried to calm chaos at the office party after the lease was terminated.
