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Ousted Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni claims the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) was compromised to dismiss a case challenging the leadership changes in the former ruling party.

The tribunal on Saturday upheld the appointment of Kanini Kega as Jubilee Party‘s acting Secretary General.

In a majority ruling, the Tribunal also upheld the expulsion of Kioni and David Murathe from the Party as Secretary General and Vice-chairman respectively. National Treasurer Kagwe Gichuhi’s 2-year suspension was also upheld.

But in a statement on Tuesday, July 11, Kioni claimed that the bench succumbed to undue influence from the state to deliver an unfavourable ruling against his faction of the Jubilee party.

He claimed Jubilee leaders who have pledged allegiance to President William Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party knew the verdict of the matter before it was officially rendered.

“It is unfortunate and obnoxious that a ruling expected to be delivered at 2:30 pm today, the 11th July 2023, was already circulating on social media last evening. On the same callous and pompous note, UDA-B functionaries were on Saturday already celebrating a ruling that was delivered on at 2:30 pm, 10th July 2023,” Kioni said.

“We lament the obvious and tyrannical injustice being occasioned on Jubilee by a section of PPDT’s seven judge bench which has succumbed to pressure and undue influence by the State.”

“While we laud the steadfast minority within the seven-judge bench which has remained objective in its judgement, the fact that UDA-B seems to have had prior knowledge and access to both the rulings as early as Saturday and were already celebrating shows that the PPDT is no longer making a judicious ruling on this critical matter.”

He went on to allege that the Tribunal is being transformed into a “conveyor belt of an already predetermined outcome on the affairs of Jubilee”.

“The evidence is self-explanatory. The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal has for the first time broken tradition and allowed its decisions to be split in such a manner that the Chair delivered a minority decision reflecting objectivity while the Vice Chair read out the majority decision that was clearly tweaked in favour of UDA-B’s objectives to capture Jubilee,” he added.

Kioni said Jubilee would communicate the next course of action in due course and urged their supporters to “remain steadfast”.

“We will, in due course, communicate the next course of action. No amount of intimidation. coercion. threats or State meddling will dissuade us or break our spirit!” He added.

On May 19, 2023, the Kanini-led faction of the Jubilee Party expelled Murathe and Kioni over gross misconduct and lack of respect for Jubilee organs.

Kega, who doubles up as a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), also indicated that Gichohi had been suspended for two years following recommendations by the National Disciplinary Committee (TNDC).

Murathe, Kioni and Gichohi were seeking orders from the Tribunal setting aside the expulsion notice from Kega.