On April 19, two different factions of the Jubilee Party, one led by Kanini Kega and the other by Jeremiah Kioni, independently claimed victory concerning the leadership wrangles that have rocked the party for months.
Kega-led faction held a press conference claiming he was the new Secretary General (SG) of the Party, while the other team argued that Kioni was still the SG of the troubled party.
Speaking exclusively to Kenyans.co.ke, political analyst Brian Mutie strongly believed that the leadership wrangles may have been caused by infiltration from other political players, including the ruling coalition.
“This infiltration is by those who want to claim political party dominance. Therefore, they have to use divisive tactics to weaken any political party that could pose competition in the future.
“This political gameplay ensures the competition is as weak as possible. The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) may have a hand as we have seen Azimio members who have crossed over and joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition. An example is Eldas Member of Parliament (MP), Adan Keynan, who has joined Kenya Kwanza even though he was in Azimio,” he noted.
This, he added, was a divide-and-conquer tactic to dismantle the third-largest party in the National Assembly.
The decisions of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) over Jubilee Party affairs are also likely to increase the instability already witnessed.
Furthermore, he noted that former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the chairperson of the Jubilee Party, was in a tight spot politically over the wrangles.
“Uhuru Kenyatta is between a rock and a hard place. His party is destabilised yet he is the Azimio La Umoja coalition council chairperson.
“If he declares he is actively involved in politics, he will jeopardise his retirement perks designated for him as a retired president,” noted Mutie.
According to the seasoned analyst, more defections from the opposition to the ruling coalition are to be expected ahead of the 2027 General Election.
This is because the ruling coalition has the power and influence accorded by the government to sway parliamentarians.
“Going forward, we expect a stronger UDA and Kenya Kwanza with more people joining the government side,” he added.
Previously, Uhuru explained that he still supported former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's candidature and handed over power to foster peace in Kenya.
