Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has filed an urgent petition at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) seeking to halt recent changes to the leadership of Jubilee Party
In the case lodged with the tribunal, Wambugu is challenging the decision by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to approve and gazette the party’s new officials.
Those named as respondents in the dispute include Fred Matiang’i, Jeremiah Kioni, Vincent Mogaka Kemosi, Moitalel Ole Kenta, Zack Kinuthia, and Yasir Noor.
Claims of Procedural Violations
Wambugu argues that he had filed a formal objection to the proposed leadership changes and expected the matter to be resolved before any final decision was made.
According to his petition, Jubilee Party invited him to a meeting on May 7, 2026, to discuss his concerns. During that meeting, party officials provided him with documents and explanations, assuring him that his concerns would be addressed before implementing any changes.
Wambugu says he requested time to review the documents and believed the matter remained under discussion. However, he later discovered that the Registrar had already approved and recorded the changes through a letter dated May 21 and Gazette Notice No. 5749.
Lack of Notification
The former MP contends that he was never informed of the Registrar’s decision and was not given an opportunity to respond before the changes were approved.
He accuses Jubilee Party of wrongly informing the Registrar that the issues he raised had been resolved, despite the fact that he had neither withdrawn his objection nor agreed to the process.
Wambugu also faults the Registrar for approving the changes without first confirming the status of the dispute with him.
Risk of Irreparable Harm
In his petition, Wambugu warns that without the tribunal’s intervention, the newly approved officials could immediately assume office and begin making decisions on behalf of the party before the dispute is heard and determined.
He argues that such a scenario would affect the party’s leadership and internal decision-making processes, potentially rendering his case moot.
Tribunal Response
The PPDT has certified the matter as urgent and ordered that all respondents be served with the court papers.
The respondents have been given five days to file their responses before the matter proceeds to a hearing in Nairobi.
The case adds to the ongoing internal wrangles within Jubilee Party, which has experienced significant leadership disputes in recent years.
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