By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, May 05, 2026 - Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party has convened an urgent, high-stakes meeting set for tomorrow in Nairobi, summoning former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu in a bid to contain a fast-escalating leadership dispute that now threatens to tear the party apart.
The crisis talks, scheduled at the party headquarters, follow a formal invitation issued by Deputy Party Leader (Outreach) Joseph Manje, who indicated that the meeting will interrogate Wambugu’s objections to recent changes in the party’s top leadership.
Wambugu has formally accepted the invitation, but in a hard-hitting response signalled he is not backing down.
“I confirm my availability to attend the meeting as scheduled. I do so in good faith and strictly for purposes of facilitating clarity, lawful resolution, and constitutional compliance within the Party,” he wrote.
However, he cautioned that his participation would be “without prejudice” to his formal objection before the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties and any potential proceedings before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal.
In his letter dated May 5, Wambugu set tough conditions for the talks, demanding full disclosure of key party records, including minutes, resolutions, attendance lists, and constitutional provisions underpinning the contested changes.
“The burden rests on the Party to demonstrate that the proposed changes are founded on valid, lawful and constitutionally compliant decisions,” he stated, warning that without such proof, “the process cannot properly proceed.”
He further insisted that no steps should be taken to operationalise the disputed changes pending resolution of the matter.
The emergency meeting was triggered by a formal complaint Wambugu lodged with the Registrar of Political Parties, setting off a chain reaction that has now placed Jubilee under regulatory scrutiny.
In a letter dated April 28, Registrar of Political Parties John Lorionokou wrote to Kenyatta, flagging Wambugu’s objection to the changes, which had already been published in a Kenya Gazette notice.
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The Registrar directed the party to resolve the dispute internally and in strict accordance with its constitution before any changes can be ratified.
“Kindly apprise this Office on the outcome of the resolution to enable conclusion of the process,” the Registrar stated.
At the heart of Wambugu’s protest is a fundamental challenge to the legitimacy of Jubilee’s current leadership structure.
In his submission dated April 20, he questioned who is legally exercising authority within the party, arguing that there is no evidence to prove that the National Executive Committee (NEC) was properly constituted, that quorum was achieved, or that any valid resolution was passed to approve the leadership shake-up.
“The central unresolved question remains; who is presently exercising decision-making authority in the name of the Jubilee Party and on what lawful constitutional basis?” Wambugu posed.
He accused the party of operating without transparency, accountability, and procedural clarity, warning that proceeding with the gazettement process under such circumstances would be “premature, procedurally improper, and legally unsustainable.”
The Political Parties Act requires the Registrar to ensure that all changes to party officials are lawfully sanctioned and compliant with party constitutions before registration, placing Jubilee in a tight legal and political corner.
With internal divisions now spilling into the public domain, tomorrow’s meeting is shaping up as a decisive moment for the former ruling party, whose unity and credibility are increasingly under scrutiny ahead of the 2027 General Election.