The ruling party Jubilee has been dealt a major blow after plan to expel six nominated Senators allied to Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto was reversed.
The party had in February 2021, expelled senators Milicent Omanga, Isaac Mwaura, Waqo Naomi Jilo, Prengei Victor, Imam Falhada and Mary Yiane.
Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju in a statement said the six appeared before the committee in 2020 and earlier this year on “disciplinary violations as per Article 13 of the party’s constitution.”
However, the legislators on Wednesday, May 5, breathed a sigh of relief after the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) nullified their expulsion.
The tribunal which is chaired by Desma Mungo said the expulsion by the ruling party was not only illegal but also unprocedural.
“A declaration is hereby issued that the decision to expel the applicants was unlawful and against the Jubilee Constitution,” Nungo said.
According to the Jubilee party, the decision to expel the six rebels was reached at after deliberations by the party’s National Management Committee (CMC) on reports submitted by the disciplinary committee.
“The NMC in exercising its mandate as provided for under Article 7(2a) of the party constitution and relying on other enabling provisions of the same constitution has expelled the senators,” Jubilee said.
However, the tribunal argued that Jubilee did not follow party’s Constitution while expelling the six senators since they were not summoned but instead appeared before the disciplinary committee, thinking that the complaints against them had been dropped.
Kivumbi.co.ke understands that the ruling party has fallen out with its deputy party leader and his allies after he announced plans to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2022 General Election.
The party recently filed a petition to the Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu requesting to end its pre-election pact with the UDA party formerly PDR, an outfit heavily linked to Deputy President William Ruto.
