Open warfare at Jubilee after registrar calls for documents
The ongoing wrangles within the ruling Jubilee Party took a new turn yesterday after the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu said she has not received any documentation regarding a meeting held to replace some of its officials.
Nderitu in a letter to party Secretary General Raphael Tuju, yesterday requested for information and documentations regarding Jubilee Party.
The registrar’s response comes after the party deputy secretary general Caleb Kositany wrote to her requesting for a raft of documents including any document of form filed for the change or intended change of Constitution or membership of party officials to any of Jubilee Party organs.
Kositany had also asked for any minutes of the meeting of the national Executive Committee or any other organ of the party from September 2017 to date.
“Reference is made to the above subject matter and a letter received on 14th April, 2020 requesting for information and documentation regarding the party.
Written letter
She further says in the letter that upon review of the letter written by the SG, it is noted that some of the requested records of party are not in the custody of her office.
“In line with Section 17 and 18 of the Political Parties Act, 2011, your party is notified to comprehensively provide these particulars for inspection and processing of this request,” says the registrar.
Nderitu has confirmed receipt of more than 100 letters of protest and promised to make a decision on the matter and the way forward.
But in a quick rejoinder, Tuju defended the move to replace some of the officials saying it was within the party constitution.
“We effected the changes according to the provisional transitional clauses in the party. Whatever we did was in line with party regulations. We are wondering why those are seeking the minutes have not approached the party. Why are they seeking the information from a third party?” said Tuju on phone.
Among those who have protested proposed changes in the party’s leadership is Deputy President William Ruto who is also Jubilee’s deputy party leader.
Proposed changes
“I have received more than 100 letters protesting the proposed changes in the Jubilee National Management committee. I will state the next course of action after my office has gone through all the letters,” Nderitu said.
Later yesterday, Kositany in a hard hitting press release accused Tuju of managing the party as his own property.
“Jubilee Party is not a private property of Tuju and his masters to be managed in a cavalier manner. It is a political party and not a fiefdom. Jubilee is a democratic national institution as such must be managed according to its constitution.
“It is now crystal clear that the frustrations were premeditated with the intention of fraudulently making changes in the party and eventually crippling it,” Kositany.
Ruto has termed “illegal” the party’s decision to make changes to one of its top decision-making organs.
In a tweet on Friday, the DP castigated people he described as shadowy characters for making “illegal” changes at a time when Kenyans were focused on the war on the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “As Kenyans are focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, some shadowy characters are attempting to fraudulently institute illegal changes in officials of Jubilee party.
As deputy leader, I have alerted the registrar of the fraud. Party members should know that the matter is being handled.”
The ruling political outfit had forwarded five new names to the National Management Committee following the exit of three others.
The committee currently has 13 members appointed by the party leader who is President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The team is in charge of the day-to-day management of the party and sits more frequently than the National Executive Committee or the National Delegates Conference to make urgent and pressing decisions.
According to some members, the party has never held any formal meeting to ratify any decisions or propose any changes to party organs including the National Management Committee.
