Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has moved to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal seeking to block newly approved changes to the leadership of Jubilee Party.
In the urgent case filed before the PPDT, Ngunjiri is challenging the decision by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to approve and gazette the party’s new officials, among them Fred Matiang’i, Jeremiah Kioni, Vincent Mogaka Kemosi, Moitalel Ole Kenta, Zack Kinuthia and Yasir Noor.
Wambugu argues that he had already lodged a formal objection against the proposed leadership changes and expected the matter to be resolved before any approval could be made.
According to court documents, Wambugu says Jubilee Party officials invited him for a meeting on May 7 to discuss the issues he had raised. During the meeting, he claims he was furnished with documents and assured that his concerns would be addressed before any final decision was taken.
He says he requested time to review the documents and believed consultations were still ongoing.
However, Wambugu states that he later discovered that the Registrar had already approved and recorded the changes through a letter dated May 21 and Gazette Notice No. 5749 without notifying him. He accuses Jubilee Party of misleading the Registrar by claiming that the dispute had been resolved yet he had neither withdrawn his objection nor agreed to the changes.
He further argues that the Registrar failed to verify the position with him before approving the new officials.
Wambugu now wants the tribunal to intervene, warning that the newly gazetted officials could immediately assume office and begin making decisions on behalf of the party before the dispute is heard and determined.
He says allowing the changes to take effect before the case is concluded could interfere with the party’s leadership structure and render the proceedings meaningless.
The tribunal has certified the matter as urgent and directed all respondents to be served within five days before the case proceeds for hearing in Nairobi.
