Outgoing Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni was on Monday, July 10, dealt a blow after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) upheld the appointment of Kanini Kega as the secretary general of the party.
Following the ruling, a section of political players suspected that the Tribunal 'took sides' in the ruling while others heaped praise on the directive insisting that it was justified.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Dr Jane Thuo, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and a political analyst, hinted at the possibility of the Kioni-led faction being cut down to size for supporting the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
She noted that Kioni, alongside outgoing vice-chair David Murathe, had the option of forming another party and instituting new policies linked to their manifesto.
"The Kioni-led faction is being punished for supporting Azimio and cutting them down to size. Most likely it will be taken over by the govt. We will wait to see whether Jubilee will now leave Azimio.
"By itself, a party means nothing. It's a movement driven by the people so they can opt to leave," she revealed.
The analyst indicated that the Jubilee party was once a shell of its former self hence chances of reviving it were futile. She noted that the ruling could be a blessing in disguise to build a party from the ground up that resonated at the grassroots level.
Owing to the current situation, she argued that former president and embattled party leader Uhuru Kenyatta did not have much to lose because he had already completed his agenda.
"He's not going to vie so it's insignificant. This in fact gives him a better standing as he can become more influential locally and internationally," she asserted.
On the other hand, political analyst Martin Andati opined that the Kioni-led faction could opt for the legal route and appeal at the High Court.
"They will appeal at the High Court. The Tribunal is equivalent to the magistrate court so they can always appeal at the High Court level and if they are unsuccessful, they can head to the Court of Appeal," he divulged.
"The Supreme Court does not handle disputes involving political parties unless the issue has to deal with the law," he added.
On Monday, The Tribunal dismissed the appeal filed by Kioni and directed that the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) that appointed Kega as Jubilee SG was properly constituted.
The court also directed Kioni, Murathe, Kagwe Gichohi and Jubilee Party to pay the administration costs of the lawsuit for all the respondents.
