Political Parties tribunal halts Jubilee NEC meeting as ousted officials cry foul
Political Parties Disputes Tribunal members Desma Nungo (left), Milly O. Lwanga and Paul Ngotho (right) at a past event.
What you need to know:
- The six ousted officials stated that unless the tribunal stopped the meeting, they would be voted out.
- The tribunal directed the six to serve the petition on Mr Kioni and appear for directions on November 28.
The Political Parties tribunal has stopped Jubilee Party from holding its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for Friday.
The temporary order was given pending the determination of a petition filed by six members who were expelled from the party, among them ousted Chairman Nelson Dzuya.
The six ousted officials stated that unless the tribunal stopped the meeting, they would be voted out without immediate recourse.
“That pending the hearing and determination of this application inter partes, this Honourable Tribunal hereby issues a temporary order staying the Notice dated November 7, 2024 calling for a meeting set for November 15, 2024,” Ms Desma Nungo, the chairperson of the PPDT said.
Mr Dzuya alongside Dr Naomi Shabaan, Jimmy Ang’wenyi, Peter Mositet, Joshua Kutuny and Joel Kibe accused the party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni of illegal acts by seeking to expel them from the former ruling party.
The tribunal directed the six to serve the petition on Mr Kioni and appear for directions on November 28.
Through lawyer Omwanza Nyamweya, the six accused Mr Kioni of “unilaterally and wrongfully summoning select few members” of the NEC and excluded them despite being bonafide party officials.
Mr Nyamweya said Mr Dzuya, as national chairperson of the Jubilee Party, has the sole responsibility to preside over the meeting of both the NEC and the National Management Committee of the Jubilee Party.
He further said Mr Kioni has unilaterally set his own agenda for discussing and or consideration as the agenda was not and has not been approved by the national management committee.
He pointed out that the party constitution give the management committee the sole duty to set the agenda.
They will ask the tribunal to direct that they be allowed to attend to any and all Jubilee party organs meetings as officials and members, without any limitations or restrictions.
In September, the High Court quashed the removal of Mr Kioni, David Murathe and Kagwe Gichohi as officials and subsequent expulsion from the party.
Justice Janet Mulwa said the party meeting held on February 10, 2023 was improperly convened and in blatant breach of the law and the party constitution, and the resolutions flowing from the meeting were, therefore, a nullity.
“Having found that every process that was undertaken in furtherance of an un-procedural meeting, any decisions flowing from the meeting are therefore declared null and void,” Justice Janet Mulwa ruled.
Mr Kioni, Mr Murathe and Gichohi had been removed as the secretary general, vice chairman and treasurer of the Jubilee Party, respectively.
The officials rushed to court saying they are apprehensive that they suffered grave injustice in the process of their removal in violation of their constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing.
“Upon interrogation of the matter, the court finds that the notice of February 2, 2023 was improperly issued making it a nullity,” said the judge.
