New dawn, Kega declares as Uhuru suffers blow at the political parties tribunal

By Peter Ochieng

Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta got a major blow in court on Monday, after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), ruled against his favour.

PPDT threw out an appeal against ouster of Kenyatta's allies from Jubilee party leadership positions. The tribunal ruled that the appeal lacks merit, ordering the appellants to bear costs.

"We answer the second issue as framed, in the negative. We have said so much to demonstrate that the order that commends itself to us is dismissal of the appeal. The same lacks merit," PPDT ruled virtually.

Similarly, a suit filed against the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu for effecting Jubilee leadership changes in May 2023, was dismissed.

"Far from the appellants submissions, we do not see any non-compliance with either the registrar’s statutory duty or our decision in appeal No. 1 of 2023. Indeed, the registrar, in our considered view, is neither in breach of or in contempt of our edicts in the aforesaid decision."

Ousted party leaders are: Uhuru Kenyatta (Party leader), Jeremiah Kioni (Secretary General) David Murathe (vice chairperson) and Kagwe Gichohi (national treasurer).

Jubilee is now in the hands of acting party leader Sabina Wanjiru Chege and acting Secretary General Kanini Kega.

"A new dawn," Kega, the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP said in his reaction.

The Sabina/Kega camp supports president William Ruto's administration, while the Uhuru camp is backing Azimio leader, Raila Odinga.