Jubilee succession war: Leaders accuse Kioni, Wambugu of fuelling wrangles

Party officials from Nakuru, Nyandarua, Embu, Nyeri and Murang’ā have accused Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni and former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu of exacerbating internal discord within the Jubilee Party as they vie to succeed retiring President Uhuru Kenyatta. The accusations emerged during a gathering in Naivasha on September 19, 2026, when party officials also supported a centralized leadership structure to manage the party’s affairs during the transition period.

This dispute arises following a High Court ruling that validated Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which prohibits retired presidents from assuming formal leadership roles in political parties for a period of six months post their departure from State House. Uhuru Kenyatta has pledged to transfer leadership of the Jubilee Party in accordance with the law and the party’s constitution.

Charles Mburu, the Jubilee chairperson in Nakuru, alleged that Kioni and Wambugu were targeting party members and causing confusion over the party’s leadership. Mburu stated that Jubilee members had resolved to support Moitalel Ole Kenta, despite a tribunal ruling that nullified his appointment as Secretary-General due to him not being a registered Jubilee member at the time of his nomination.

The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal directed the party to restart the process for filling the Secretary-General position. Wambugu, however, insisted that the party should adhere to its constitutional procedures for selecting Uhuru Kenyatta’s successor, advocating for a National Delegates Convention (NDC) to determine the next party leader, and rejecting any circumvention of these processes.

Mburu further criticized President William Ruto for consistently criticizing Uhuru Kenyatta, suggesting that these remarks were designed to deflect attention from Ruto’s administration’s challenges, such as issues concerning the Social Health Authority (SHA) and university funding. Mburu claimed Ruto was concerned about Uhuru’s potential influence in shaping political alliances leading up to the 2027 General Election.

Still, he affirmed that Jubilee members would back Uhuru’s decisions regarding the party’s political direction despite his imminent departure from formal leadership. Mburu emphasized, "Jubilee party members fully support a centralised power structure to engineer the party operations as the momentum gathers for next year’s elections."