NAIROBI, Kenya – Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has scored another legal victory in the ongoing leadership tussle within the Jubilee Party after the Court of Appeal upheld a ruling that reinstated his allies.
However, the rival faction led by East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega has vowed to challenge the decision, arguing that the trial judge overstepped legal boundaries.
The power struggle within Jubilee has persisted since Kenyatta’s retirement, pitting his loyalists—Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni, National Vice-Chairperson David Murathe, and Treasurer Kagwe Gichohi—against the Kega-led group, which includes Eldas MP Adan Keynan and Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai.
The dispute escalated in September 2024 when High Court Judge Janet Mulwa ruled that the expulsion of Kenyatta’s allies from the party was unlawful.
The judge found that some members who orchestrated the purge were not legitimate members of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), rendering their actions null and void.
In response, Kega’s faction filed an appeal, arguing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction and that the case should have been handled by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).
They contended that the matter was already before the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms and should not have been determined by the courts.
However, a three-judge bench—comprising Justices Jamila Mohammed, Mumbi Ngugi, and Fred Ochieng—dismissed the appeal on Friday, stating that the disciplinary committee failed to demonstrate any significant disruption that would result from reinstating Kenyatta’s allies.
“We did not hear from any of the disciplinary committee’s lawyers on the particular activities they purport will be disrupted if we do not grant the stay,” the judges ruled.
With this decision, Kioni, Murathe, and Gichohi have been reinstated to their positions within the party.
Despite the court’s ruling, the Kega-led faction has vowed to continue its legal battle, insisting that the judge erred by not referring the case back to the PPDT.
The appeal process could further complicate Jubilee Party’s operations as both factions fight for control ahead of the next political cycle.
