The Jubilee party, which was formerly in power, has lodged a petition at the Milimani High Court in Nairobi against Nominated MP Sabina Chege and her counterpart from the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Kanini Kega.
The faction within the party aligned with retired President Uhuru Kenyatta accuses these two individuals of persistently representing themselves as party officials while the internal leadership dispute remains unresolved.
Lady Justice Janet Mulwa has granted urgency certification to the petition and directed that it be served to all relevant parties. The court has set the date for the hearing as October 23, 2023.
Mulwa stated, “The court has considered the motion dated October 3, 2023, and is certified as urgent. Let it be served on all parties and return for an inter partes hearing on October 23, 2023.”
Following the filing of the petition, supporters of the Uhuru-led faction shared the news on social media. Their statement read, “We filed a contempt case at the Milimani High Court against the rebel group. Despite multiple court orders, the rebels continue to carry themselves as Jubilee Party officials, conduct business on behalf of the Party, and create confusion amongst our members.”
The petition has been filed under the name “Jubilee Party of Kenya and Kagwe Gichohi and two others versus the National Disciplinary Committee of Jubilee Party and Joshua Kuttuny.”
For several months, the Jubilee party has been grappling with internal leadership disputes, with two factions claiming to be the legitimate party officials. One faction remains loyal to the Azimio la Umoja coalition led by Raila Odinga, while the other has shifted allegiance to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition.
A significant number of MPs have switched their allegiance to Ruto, solidifying his Kenya Kwanza coalition’s dominance in the 349-member house.
Kanini Kega declared himself the new Secretary General after the elections, displacing former Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni from the position.
Sabina Chege, on the other hand, has emphasized that she did not defect from the Azimio la Umoja Coalition but chose to prioritize the needs of the constituents she represents in Parliament.
During the National Prayer Breakfast on June 7, 2023, at Safari Park Hotel, Sabina stated, “My team and I in Jubilee chose the path to reconciliation because we believe in the bigger picture. I want to ask other MPs to reconcile with me.”
Several former Jubilee legislators who were vocal critics of the President Ruto administration and supported Raila in the last elections have also thrown their support behind Ruto. These leaders have pledged to respect the voters’ will in the last election and support elected representatives in serving the people.
