Jubilee Party leadership woes escalate as Kanini Kega faction seeks Azimio divorce
The power tussle within the former ruling Jubilee Party has escalated to the extent that the Kenya Kwanza administration-leaning faction is seeking a divorce from the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party.
In an apparent notice to Jubilee Party members, Kanini Kega, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), said the political outfit’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which met on June 6, 2023, had agreed to withdraw from Azimiodecided to seek the opposition’s withdrawal.
“Take note that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Jubilee Party at its meeting held on the 6th of June 2023 resolved to withdraw from the Deed of Agreement for the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition,” reads part of the notice.
The MP said the move was in accordance with the Deed of Agreement for Azimio dated 12 March 2022.
The coalition was formed and approved by the Registrar of Political Parties last year after fulfilling all the requirements of a coalition agreement, including dispute resolution mechanisms, amendment of the coalition agreement and parameters for leaving or joining a coalition.
This now puts former president Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga in a Catch-22 situation after they recently came out to fight for the Jubilee Party.
The former president, who was also suspended as party leader by the Kanini Kega group and replaced by nominated MP Sabina Chege, claimed they were defending the party from the people he claimed had their interests.
The statement comes ahead of the announced National Delegates Conference (NDC) of the party to be held by the Kanini Kega group at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on July 22, 2023.
Recent infighting within the party has seen the Azimio threaten to boycott the inter-party talks with government, claiming President William Ruto’s government is interfering in their affairs of the former ruling party and its coalition member.
This also comes amid confusion over Azimio’s attempt to unseat Sabina Chege as deputy minority leader in the National Assembly.
However, her impeachment bid was blocked by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, who cited a court case that tied his hands.
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