The struggle for the shell that is the Jubilee Party promises to go several notches higher tomorrow, as a faction led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta convenes a national delegates conference (NDC) to kick out rebel party members.
The former president yesterday announced a change of venue for the NDC, moving it to the Ngong' Racecourse after he was locked out of the Bomas of Kenya, even as the party's Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC) suspended the convention.
"Notice is hereby given that the venue of the Jubilee NDC has been moved to Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi. All other details remain as in the notice issued on April 29, 2023," Uhuru said in a notice published in local dailies yesterday.
In a separate notice, the IDRC suspended the convention pending the determination of a dispute between Uhuru and a faction led by East Africa Legislative Assembly lawmaker Kanini Kega. Kega and others accused the former head of state of violating the party's constitution in convening the NDC.
The two notices came a day after the Kega-led group expelled vice chairperson David Murathe and secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni.
"The committee found that Kioni is guilty of gross misconduct. Article 14.3.1 states the lack of respect for the organs of the party is indiscipline. No organ of the party was spared by the member in his disregard," Kega said on Friday as he communicated the expulsion, an action Murathe and Kioni dismissed.
"We don't pay attention to Kangaroo sittings. The gazetted legal organs of the party are the only ones with the mandate to do certain things as provided for by law," Kioni responded.
Uhuru plans to use tomorrow's NDC to stem the coup against his leadership by expelling Kega and Nominated MP Sabina Chege, the rival camp's party leader, among other rebels who have since aligned themselves with President William Ruto.
Both sides are embroiled in a battle of wits and chances, eyeing the Sh135 million allocation by the National Treasury in the current financial year and the Sh675 million they are entitled to over the next five years.
The scales alternate in favour of both camps at various points. Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu ratified an initial suspension of Murathe and Kioni but the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal quashed the decision.
Nderitu is this week set to render a decision on Uhuru's suspension as party leader by Kega's Jubilee, which could only prolong the wrangles within the battered party.
"The manner in which the party leader conducted himself in issuing notices for the NEC and NDC meetings was improper and constituted misconduct on his part," Kega said in a letter to the RPP dated May 4. Uhuru's wing also wrote to Nderitu seeking that Kega and Sabina, among others, be deregistered as Jubilee members.
The rebel group have opposed Uhuru's role, citing the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act that obligates a retired president not to hold office in a political party six months after their last day as president.
Kega also scored when Uhuru's request for Bomas as their NDC venue was rejected.
On his part, Uhuru has struck hard at those seen as driving his ouster, sacking chairperson Nelson Dzuya and executive director Wambui Gichuru through undated resignation letters they reportedly signed as they were appointed.
He also blocked the rival camp from accessing the party's new headquarters, forcing them to seek a separate office.
Waves of defections
Besides banking on tomorrow's NDC, Uhuru is also counting on the success of the bipartisan deliberations between allies of Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga. Among the issues for discussion include preventing interference in political parties, coming amid waves of defections by opposition MPs.
Kega and Sabina and other rebels could lose their seats if their removal is ratified, but the several appeals mechanisms in place could spare them that fate. In 2021, the high court reinstated Isaac Mwaura, a chief administrative secretary in the office of the prime cabinet secretary, as a senator after Jubilee stripped him of membership.
Jubilee is a member of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party courtesy of an NDC held in March last year, but rebel MPs have lamented poor treatment by their counterparts.
They, for instance, decry their exclusion from the Parliamentary Service Commission and the bipartisan talks. And hence the majority of its elected 29 MPs have crossed the floor to support Ruto.
