Uhuru Kenyatta Breaks Silence On Jubilee Leadership After Court Orders For His Removal
Kenya’s fourth President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has accepted the recent High Court ruling barring retired presidents from holding leadership positions in political parties for more than six months after leaving office.
In a statement made on Tuesday, September 15, a day after the ruling, Uhuru said he respected the decision and was ready to hand over leadership of the Jubilee Party.
The former President said the ruling should not be viewed as a restriction on his political life, but as an affirmation of Kenya’s democratic institutions.
“The Office of the former President has taken note of the High Court’s ruling upholding Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which guides the transition of retired presidents from formal political party leadership,” Uhuru stated through his office.
“H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta has received this ruling in a spirit of profound respect for the judiciary,” the statement added.
“He notes that the court’s ruling is not a restriction on his political life; it is a reaffirmation of our democratic maturity.”
Before adding, “The 4th President of the Republic of Kenya acknowledges that leadership is not the chair one occupies; it is the trust one cultivates.”
Uhuru said the ruling had now cleared the way for the long-delayed handover of the Jubilee Party chairmanship, which had been affected by an internal dispute.
He maintained that the delay was not due to his reluctance to relinquish the position, but followed a contested dispute within the party that required legal clarification.
“In regard to the long-delayed handover of the Party chairmanship, the Office clarifies that this process was not stalled by reluctance, but by a contested internal dispute that required legal clarity. With the court’s guidance, that path is now clear,” the statement read.
Following the ruling, Uhuru expressed willingness to complete the handover in accordance with the Jubilee Party constitution and the law.
The former President said he expected the party’s internal processes to proceed without further hindrance.
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“The former President affirms his absolute willingness to see the handover completed openly, lawfully, and in strict accordance with the party’s constitution. He looks forward to the party’s processes moving forward without hindrance,” the statement added.
In the September 14 ruling, Justice Lawrence Mugambi dismissed a petition challenging Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which provides that a retired president cannot hold a leadership position in any political party for more than six months after leaving office.
The judge ruled that the restriction does not violate the rights to freedom of association, political participation, or equality.
He also maintained that former presidents remain free to join political parties and participate in political activities after leaving office.
This means that Uhuru can remain a member of the Jubilee Party but cannot hold party leadership positions for six months after leaving office.
With the court ruling, the Jubilee Party is now set for a leadership transition, with Deputy Party Leaders Fred Matiang’i and Jeremiah Kioni among those likely to take over the party’s leadership.
Uhuru Kenyatta Breaks Silence On Jubilee Leadership After Court Orders For His Removal
