The rebel faction of the Jubilee Party led by Sabina Chege and Kanini Kega has suffered a major blow after a tribunal sitting in Nairobi barred them from withdrawing the political outfit from Azimio la Umoja.

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal led by the chairperson Desma Nungo has issued orders suspending a letter from the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) that recognised the ouster of Jeremiah Kioni and David Murathe as secretary general and vice chairperson, respectively.

Simultaneously the Kega faction has been stopped from holding a parallel National Delegates Conference (NDC) on July 22, 2023, pending the hearing of a case lodged by the Kioni faction.

Further, the tribunal has also issued conservatory orders stopping both the Kega and Kioni factions from representing the Jubilee Party in a decision seemingly reached to shield the tribunal from accusations of bias and favouritism.

“Pending the hearing and determination of the complaint and applications filed herein inter-partes, interim conservatory orders are hereby issued restraining all parties hereto and/or their representatives jointly and severally from issuing any communication and/or making any public representations on behalf of Jubilee Party, and further staying communication dated June 6 and 13, 2023, issued by the Hon. Joshua Kutuny and any other communication and/or decisions that may have been issued and/or taken by any of the parties hereto on behalf of Jubilee Party during the pendency of these proceedings, “the Nungo-led tribunal ruled.

The Tribunal also certified the application as urgent and directed the case to be heard on June 22, 2023 at 10 am.

Kioni petitions on Jubilee

The orders have been issued after the Kioni faction petitioned the tribunal to stop the Kega faction from pulling out of the Azimio coalition saying it will be detrimental to the party.

They urged the tribunal to slam brakes on the Kega faction from further interfering with the party’s decision including calling for an Annual Conference of the party pending the determination of their case.

Kioni faction wants the tribunal to determine once and for all the leadership wrangles in the Jubilee Party.

“We are aggrieved by the two notices issued by Kutuny recently seeking to withdraw the party from Azimio Coalition and to hold a special National Delegates convention on July 22,” Kioni factions informed the tribunal through lawyer Jackson Awele.

Kioni accuses the Kega faction of contempt for violating the orders earlier issued recognizing them as the bonafide leaders of the former ruling party.

The decision by the tribunal today comes as a reprieve to the leader of Jubilee Party, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose co-leaders Kioni, Murathe and Kagwe Gichohi have been recognized as the real leaders of the party.