A fresh leadership dispute is brewing within the Jubilee Party after former Nyeri Town Member of Parliament Ngunjiri Wambugu formally objected to proposed changes to the party’s officials, warning that the process is unlawful and unconstitutional.
In a detailed letter dated April 20, 2026, addressed to the Registrar of Political Parties, Wambugu challenged Gazette Notice No. 5749 of April 17, 2026, which invited public submissions on intended changes to Jubilee Party officials.
In his letter, Wambugu asked the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to suspend or decline registration of the proposed changes until key legal and constitutional questions are resolved.
“I am a registered member of the Jubilee Party (Membership No. JP1116789), a former Member of Parliament elected under the Jubilee Party (2017–2022), and currently an aspirant intending to contest in the 2027 General Election on the Jubilee Party ticket. I therefore have a direct, legitimate and protectable interest in the lawful governance, constitutional integrity, and internal democratic processes of the Party,” read part of the letter by Wambugu.
Ngujiri Wambugu Opposes Jubilee Party Changes
Wambugu, a long-serving member of Jubilee and a former MP elected on a Jubilee ticket between 2017 and 2022, said he has a direct interest in the party’s governance because he intends to seek election in the 2027 General Election under the Jubilee Party banner.
At the center of his objection is what he describes as a failure by the party to demonstrate who currently holds lawful decision-making authority within Jubilee.
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He argued that this question goes to the validity and enforceability of all decisions made on the party’s behalf, including the proposed changes to party officials now before the Registrar.
Wambugu listed a series of governance concerns that he says he has raised in multiple letters to party leadership and the Registrar since early March, yet they remain unresolved.
These include a lack of transparency and accountability in decision-making, uncertainty about the lawful composition of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), and the emergence of informal power structures that operate outside the party constitution.
He also questioned whether any properly constituted NEC exists at present and whether a lawful quorum was present when decisions authorizing the proposed changes were allegedly made.
According to the objection, Jubilee has failed to provide evidence that a valid resolution was passed in line with the party constitution, or that the process complied with the Political Parties Act.
Under Section 20 of the Political Parties Act, the Registrar can only register changes to party officials if they are lawfully authorized, undertaken in accordance with the party constitution, and supported by valid resolutions of duly constituted party organs.
Protection of Jubilee Members’ Rights
Wambugu argued that in the absence of proof that these legal thresholds have been met, the proposed changes are “prima facie unconstitutional, procedurally defective and incapable of forming a lawful basis for registration”.
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Wambugu added that registration would also produce immediate legal and practical consequences, including recognition of disputed officials by state and public institutions, control over party nominations and internal processes disputed by officials, as well as public representation of party authority.
Wambugu also raised concerns about the protection of Jubilee members’ internal democratic rights, including the right to participate in fair party processes and to seek nominations through legitimate party structures.
In his request to the Registrar, Wambugu asked that the proposed changes be declined or suspended, that the status quo be maintained, and that Jubilee be required to provide additional documentation to demonstrate compliance with the law and the party constitution.
He also asked that individuals named in the proposed changes be directed not to present themselves or act as officials pending resolution of the dispute.
Copies of the objection were sent to Jubilee Party Leader Uhuru Kenyatta and the party’s Secretary General.
The objection adds to growing signs of internal strain within Jubilee as the party seeks to reorganize ahead of the next election cycle, with leadership legitimacy and internal democracy now emerging as key flashpoints.
In a gazette notice issued on Friday, April 17, the ORPP asked interested parties to submit views on the proposed leadership changes in the former ruling party.
The outlined changes included the appointment of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as the Deputy Party Leader (Programs) and Moitalel Ole Kenta as the party’s Secretary General. On his part, former Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni was proposed as the party’s Deputy Party Leader (Operations).
