Nairobi — The fight for control of the Jubilee Party will now head to the streets, the embattled President Uhuru Kenyatta-led faction has now warned.
Former Ndaragwa Member of Parliament Jeremiah Kioni who suffered a setback after Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu ratified his expulsion and that of the Vice-Chairman David Murathe.
Nderitu also ratified the suspension of National Treasurer Kagwe Gichohi saying she was satisfied that the faction led by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega had followed due process in removing them from office.
"We will be forced to go to the streets and tell our members their party is under attack and they need to come out to protect it. We are going to tell them to come out in large numbers because the Office of Registrar of Political Parties is clearly not going to help them," he said.
The Former MP spoke moments after delivering ratified resolutions made during the Jubilee Party National Delegates Convention (NDC) which was held Monday at the Ngong Race Course.
Kioni lamented that President William Ruto's regime was working to undermine multi-party democracy in the country hence the move by the ORPP to attempt to snatch Jubilee Party from retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
"We have done the rightful thing by handing over the resolutions we made during the Jubilee NEC which was held yesterday. Already, we had a court order giving us the nod to have the NEC meeting," he noted.
The Kenyatta-led faction was dealt a blow after the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties ratified the disciplinary process by the National Executive Committee (NEC) led by the Kanini Kega faction.
In her ruling, Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu noted that the move to expel Jeremiah Kioni (Secretary General) and David Murathe (Deputy Party Leader) as well as the suspension of Kagwe Gichochi (Treasurer) was done in accordance to the Party Constitution.
"Following a review of the submitted documents in line with the PPA, and the Party Constitution, this office is satisfied that the party adhered to the due process," stated Nderitu.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has moved to expunge the names of Kioni and Murathe from the Jubilee Party List.
"Accordingly, pursuant to section 34(da) of the PPA, this Office has updated its records and the register of Party members, "Nderitu stated.
The current confusion on who is the bonafide Jubilee Party Leader between retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nominated MP Sabina Chege still lies with the Internal Dispute Resolution Committee.
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"The tribunal observed the need to internally resolve the issues emanating from the Jubilee Party NEC meeting of 10th February 2023,"Nderitu said.
The ratification of expelling of Murathe and Kioni comes a day after Kenyatta led faction ratified resolutions to expel a dozen officials in an attempt to reconstitute a National Executive Committee (NEC) dominated by President William Ruto loyalists.
The Kenyatta-backed camp axed Kanini Kega, the Acting Secretary General according to changes ratified by a Ruto-backed NEC.
Monday's meeting also removed Sabina Chege whom the Kioni-led group named as Acting Party Leader replacing Kenyatta in changes upheld by the Political Parties Tribunal.
In its judgment delivered on April 16, the tribunal said that the notice for the National Executive Committee meeting issued on February 2 and the subsequent NEC meeting on February 10 which imposed Kega was conducted in line with the party Constitution.
