The battle for the Jubilee party has taken a new twist after a founding member of the outfit wrote to the registrar seeking crucial information.
Former nominated MP Hassan Osman, through Hassan and Lakicha advocates, has asked the registrar of political parties Anne Nderitu to give him copies of the current Jubilee Constitution.
“I demand copies of documentation or information from you to date and in particular, the current Jubilee Party Constitution, current officials of the party including the National Management Committee, and state whether interim where applicable,” he said.
Osman also wants Nderitu to provide documentation of the party’s current physical and postal addresses as well as lease documents.
“Nderitu should also provide party branches official names, party members and telephone numbers, including branch offices leases and proof of payment of rent utilities, plus audited financial accounts for 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020,” he added.
Osman threatened to institute legal action within seven days if his demands were not met.
His move comes in the wake of infighting witnessed in the Jubilee Party pitting top party officials led by Jeremiah Kioni and Kanini Kega.
On April 26, one group linked to former President Uhuru Kenyatta and another one supporting President William Ruto stormed the party headquarters in Nairobi, with each claiming authority to be in office.
Jubilee Party, an affiliate of the opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja, supported Raila Odinga in his quest to seek the presidency last year, but members split after Ruto was announced the winner.
A few weeks after his swearing-in, East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega mobilized a section of politicians within the party and switched loyalty to Ruto, whom they met at State House.
That was followed by Kega announcing himself as the new Secretary General and suspending Kenyatta’s confidant Jeremiah Kioni and Chairman David Murathe after he held a National Executive Council meeting with a group of loyalists.
They accused the two leaders of mismanaging the affairs of the party.
On May 4, the police lobbed tear gas to disperse supporters of Kega and Kioni, who had forcibly tried to storm the party’s offices
Despite the directive from the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) urging the party to resolve differences internally, both camps are set on controlling Jubilee.
