Koitalel Ole Kenta has suffered a huge setback after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) invalidated his appointment as Secretary General of the Jubilee Party.
The Tribunal found that Kenta did not satisfy the party’s constitutional requirements for the position when he was nominated and appointed in March 2026.
A panel chaired by Innocent Muganda declared the nomination, appointment and subsequent recognition of Kenta as Jubilee Secretary General unlawful, rendering the appointment void from the outset.
The decision arose from a petition filed by former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, who challenged a series of leadership changes within Jubilee Party and their recognition by the Registrar of Political Parties.
Wambugu argued that the Registrar proceeded to recognise the changes despite a formal objection he had lodged against the alterations.
Through lawyer Moses Mabeya, the former MP maintained that the Registrar adopted and recorded the disputed leadership changes without notifying him or giving him an opportunity to be heard.
Among those whose positions were affected by the disputed changes was former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who had been recorded as Deputy Secretary General. Other officials were also listed among the recognised Jubilee office bearers.
Wambugu had named the Registrar of Political Parties, Matiang’i, former Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, Vincent Mogaka Kemosi, Kenta, Zack Kinuthia, Yasir Noor and Dann Mwangi as respondents.
However, while the Tribunal found grounds to interfere with Kenta’s appointment, it declined to grant several other orders sought by Wambugu.
The panel found that some of the claims concerning the qualifications of other Jubilee officials were not backed by sufficient evidence.
In particular, the Tribunal rejected the argument that failure by the respondents to produce certain records was, on its own, enough to establish that the affected officials were disqualified.
It also declined to uphold a challenge based on the gender rule, finding that the allegation had not been sufficiently demonstrated.
The decisive issue in Kenta’s case was therefore his own eligibility under the Jubilee Party constitution at the time he was appointed.
Having found that he did not meet the relevant membership requirement, the Tribunal quashed both his appointment and recognition as Secretary General.
The PPDT has directed Jubilee Party to undertake a fresh process to fill the Secretary General position should the party choose to do so.
The ruling effectively removes Kenta from the position he had occupied since the leadership changes made in March 2026, while leaving the other aspects of Wambugu’s challenge that were not proved undisturbed.
