The political rhythm in Kenya is consistently dynamic, a vibrant arena where ambitions frequently collide with established structures and historical loyalties. Few political entities embody this dynamism more acutely than the Jubilee Party, which, after prolonged internal wrangles, is attempting to redefine its trajectory. This internal environment has recently been stirred by a fresh declaration of ambition from Senior Economic Advisor Moses Kuria, who has publicly expressed his interest in assuming the powerful position of Jubilee Party Secretary-General. However, his aspiration has been met with immediate and firm resistance from the incumbent, Jeremiah Kioni, alongside a mocking retort from rival faction leader Kanini Kega, laying bare the intricate power struggles still at play within the former ruling party.
To fully grasp the context of Moses Kuria's recent declaration, one must understand the tumultuous journey Jubilee has endured. For an extended period, the party was engulfed in a bitter internal power struggle, primarily pitting a faction allied with former President Uhuru Kenyatta against another led by Nominated MP Sabina Chege and East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega. This internal feud saw conflicting claims to leadership and control, creating an air of uncertainty around the party's true direction.
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A pivotal moment arrived recently with a High Court ruling that decisively sided with the former President Uhuru Kenyatta. This landmark judgment, issued on Thursday, upheld the resolutions made during the Jubilee Party’s Special National Delegates Convention held in May 2023. Crucially, these resolutions reinstated Uhuru Kenyatta as the undisputed Party Leader and formally confirmed Saitoti Torome as the party’s National Chairman and Jeremiah Kioni as Secretary-General. This ruling effectively delivered a crushing blow to the rival faction led by Kega and Chege, sidelining their claims to party leadership.
The consolidation of power under Uhuru's reinstated leadership was further solidified by a significant and strategic move from the outgoing Chairman, Nelson Dzuya. Dzuya, who had previously been aligned with the Kega-led faction, dramatically switched allegiance in March 2025. He withdrew his support for the rebels and filed a legal consent in court, unequivocally recognizing the legitimacy of the May 2023 delegates’ convention. This tactical shift by Dzuya dealt a serious blow to the Kega faction, stripping it of a key figure and further validating the legitimacy of the Kenyatta-Kioni leadership.
It is against this backdrop of internal realignment and judicial clarity that Moses Kuria, a figure known for his outspoken nature and sometimes unpredictable political moves, shared a poster on his social media accounts, announcing his ambition to become the next Jubilee Party Secretary-General. This declaration, coming just three days after the High Court's ruling, immediately sparked intrigue and raised questions about his timing and motivations.
Incumbent Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni was quick to respond, clarifying the stringent processes involved in assuming such a significant party role. Speaking on Monday, May 16, during an interview on TV47, Kioni unequivocally stated that the Jubilee Party's secretary-general post was "not readily available" as many might assume. He underscored that to secure such a lucrative party position, Kuria would first have to prove himself and, crucially, receive the requisite approval of the party’s National Delegates Council (NDC).
Kioni was categorical about the formal electoral process: "The position of a secretary-general of any party is not a position available as you walk across or along the road. There is a way through which you are elected as a party leader." He went on to add, "The election is done through the National Delegates Council. The earliest we are going to have a Jubilee National Delegates Council is 2028." This statement effectively pushes Kuria's ambition into a three-year waiting period, at minimum, and subject to the party's formal internal democratic processes.
Furthermore, Kioni did not mince words regarding Kuria's general political credibility. "You have to be very careful when you credit anything that Moses Kuria has said. He is a man we have known in this country, you can never know what all that means," the Jubilee Secretary-General reiterated, injecting a dose of skepticism about Kuria's pronouncements.
Adding another layer of political jousting, East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega, the Secretary-General of the rival Jubilee faction that was recently sidelined by the High Court, also laughed off Kuria's declaration. Kega openly questioned why Kuria, currently serving as President William Ruto’s Senior Economic Advisor and a former Cabinet Secretary, would aspire to what he described as a "subordinate position" in the former ruling party. “Surely my friend MK, you are a party leader, Former CS and currently President’s advisor but you want to leave all those trappings and take a subordinate position of SG! Something isn’t adding up,” Kega quipped on his social media platform, highlighting the perceived incongruity of Kuria's ambition.
