The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has officially confirmed that former President Uhuru Kenyatta is the leader of the Jubilee Party.
This confirmation was made through a gazette notice, finally putting an end to the leadership fight that has been going on for months.
The dispute began when a rival group led by nominated MP Sabina Chege and East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega claimed they had taken over the party.
They argued that Uhuru and his allies had been removed from their positions through internal procedures.
However, this claim has now been dismissed.A court ruling on September 30, 2024, had earlier favored the Chege-Kega faction, temporarily giving them control of the party. But the most recent developments have turned the tables.
The registrar has now officially recognized the Jubilee officials who were elected during the Special National Delegates Convention held on May 22, 2023.
These include Jeremiah Kioni as Secretary-General and David Murathe as Deputy National Chairperson, both known allies of Uhuru.
This comes after a recent court decision that gave Uhuru full legal authority over the party and approved the changes in its top leadership. While the court ruling gave power through the law, the gazette notice from the registrar is the administrative process that finalizes the changes.
This step ensures the new leadership is legally binding and can now fully interact with institutions like the IEBC and also receive public party funding.
Among the changes confirmed, Jeremiah Kioni remained in his position as Secretary-General, while Kanini Kega was removed from his role as National Director of Elections.
Beatrice Gambo was appointed Deputy Party Leader (Strategy), replacing Jimmy Angwenyi. Saitoti Torome was confirmed as the new National Chairperson, taking over from Nelson Dzeya.
Naomi Shaban was dropped from the Deputy Party Leader (Outreach) position and replaced by Joseph Manje.
Yassin Noor took over as Deputy Secretary General from Joshua Kutuny, while Kados Muiruri replaced Kinoti Gatobu as Deputy Party Leader (Operations).
These new appointments mark a fresh start for Jubilee as it prepares for the 2027 General Election. The party is planning to unveil former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as its presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto.
Matiang’i, who served in several ministries under Uhuru’s government, is believed to have strong support from the former president and may be Jubilee’s key figure in their attempt to reclaim power.
