The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has officially confirmed former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the leader of the Jubilee Party.
Through a gazette notice, the registrar effectively ended the leadership wrangles at the party after a rival faction led by nominated Member of Parliament Sabina Chege and East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega claimed control of the party.
The conflict began after the Kega-Chege faction sought to oust Kenyatta’s allies, claiming the former president and his team had been removed and replaced through internal processes.
A previous ruling on September 30, 2024, had dismissed the recognition of Kenyatta's faction, temporarily handing control to the opposing group.
In the notice, the registrar also affirmed the officials duly elected during the Special National Delegates Convention (SNDC) held on May 22, 2023, which included Jeremiah Kioni as Secretary-General and David Murathe as Deputy National Chairperson.
It followed a recent court ruling that granted Uhuru full control of the party as well as the leadership changes in the top echelons of the party.
While the court’s ruling gave legal force and authority, the gazettement by the ORPP is an administrative act of formally registering changes in a political party's leadership and publishing these changes in the Kenya Gazette.
The administrative act by the ORPP then makes this court-validated leadership change officially recognized and legally binding for all public purposes, including for the party's interactions with the IEBC, its eligibility for party funding, and its overall public standing.
In the confirmed changes, Jeremiah Kioni retained his role as Secretary-General while Kanini Kega, a key player of the rival group, was removed from his role as National Director in charge of elections.
Beatrice Gambo took over from Jimmy Angwenyi as the Deputy Party Leader (Strategy) while Saitoti Torome was confirmed as the National Chairperson, taking over from Nelson Dzeya.
Prominent politician Naomi Shaban was dropped as Deputy Party Leader (Outreach), with Joseph Manje taking over. Yassin Noor replaced Joshua Kutuny as the Deputy Secretary General and Kados Muiruri became the new Deputy Party Leader (Operations), replacing Kinoti Gatobu.
The latest changes come as the party prepares to unveil former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as its presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election. Matiang’i, a powerful Uhuru-era CS, is said to have the backing of the former president who deployed him across various ministries during his 10-year rule.
