Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is on the verge of solidifying his leadership over the Jubilee Party after chairman Nelson Dzuya agreed to implement leadership changes.
Dzuya, who had previously aligned with the rebel faction led by EALA MP Kanini Kega, has now consented to the resolutions made during the Special National Delegates Convention (SNDC) in May 2023, which was attended by Kenyatta.
In this latest development, Dzuya, through lawyer Jackson Awele, filed the consent confirming that the SNDC was lawfully convened. His position was further backed by Jubilee’s Internal Disputes Resolution Committee's (IDRC) new lawyer, Franklin Mwendani.
During the hearing, Awele argued that the dispute between the party and Dzuya had effectively ended, rendering the IDRC "functus officio" (having completed its duty) after the defendants opposed the consent. He also questioned the IDRC's legal standing, stating that it was "not a corporate body" and therefore lacked the capacity to sue or be sued.
"The appellant is a political party funded by public funds. Prudence dictates that the party resources be used for the purpose of properly managing the party and not to waste them on leadership wrangles. It is accordingly in the public interest that this appeal be compromised in the terms proposed in the consent dated March 10, 2025," Awele stated.
The 2023 SNDC had expelled disloyal members and appointed new officials to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC). However, Dzuya and his allies successfully challenged the move through the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), which ruled that the SNDC had not been properly convened.
Kenyatta’s faction later appealed this decision, arguing that the party leader had the authority to convene meetings "at any time and/or without the requirement to issue seven days’ notice."
The Court of Appeal, in a ruling delivered in November last year, upheld Kenyatta’s leadership, dealing a significant blow to the rebel faction. The court also declined to grant interim stay orders sought by Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny, MP Kanini Kega, and the Party’s Disciplinary Committee.
Earlier, in September, the Nairobi High Court had nullified actions taken by the Kega-led faction due to "procedural irregularities," further reinforcing Kenyatta’s hold over the party.