Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni has called for the party’s membership and delegate registers to be opened for scrutiny before the National Delegates Convention (NDC), warning that any manipulation could undermine the credibility of its leadership elections and future nominations.
Kioni said party members should be allowed to check and verify the names of delegates who will take part in the NDC, just as the national voter register is made available for inspection before a general election.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Thursday, October 8, 2026, he said Jubilee should demonstrate that its delegates were selected through a process that is open, fair and capable of being independently checked.
“During elections, we have a voters’ register that is made public and open to inspection and verification. Party delegate registers should be handled in the same transparent manner,” Kioni stated.
He said delegates hold an important position because they make decisions that can shape the leadership of a political party and influence the candidates it eventually presents for elective positions.
Kioni warned that altering delegate or nomination lists could create disputes within parties and later affect the wider electoral process.
“If you play little games with the nomination list or the delegates list at the party level, yes. Any decision like that at the NDC will certainly be carried, and it can be very, very dangerous, and especially during an election”.
His concerns come as Jubilee prepares for an NDC that is expected to formalise changes at the top of the party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
On September 22, 2026, former President Uhuru Kenyatta handed over the leadership of Jubilee to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, subject to formal confirmation by the NDC.
Kenyatta said he would remain a member of the party and take up the role of senior adviser.
The leadership change followed a High Court ruling on whether retired presidents can continue holding formal leadership positions in political parties. Matiang’i has since taken charge of Jubilee as the party works to strengthen its grassroots network before the 2027 elections.
On October 6, Matiang’i opened a Jubilee office in Kilifi North, where he met party delegates and local leaders as part of efforts to mobilise support and strengthen the party at the grassroots.
Kioni has separately expressed interest in taking over from Kenyatta as Jubilee party leader. He has maintained that the position should be decided through the party's democratic structures and by delegates attending the NDC.
The push for greater transparency comes against the background of previous leadership disagreements within Jubilee, including disputes that have ended up before the courts.
In September 2024, the High Court handled appeals arising from the 2023 Jubilee leadership dispute involving Kioni, former Jubilee Vice Chairperson David Murathe and former Treasurer Kagwe Gichohi, among others.
The dispute arose from decisions made after a contested National Executive Committee meeting held on February 10, 2023.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) requires political parties to keep accurate and authentic records, including membership registers. The Political Parties Act also allows party members to inspect and obtain copies of party records during working hours after paying the required fee.
For parties that use indirect nominations, the law requires delegates to be selected from registered party members and their lists to be submitted to the Registrar before nominations.
The lists are required to include the names, addresses and identifying details of the delegates.
Kioni said failure to maintain trusted and accurate registers could lead to costly disputes before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and the courts.
He said the stakes were even higher for parties with presidential candidates because disputes arising from internal nominations could later form the basis of challenges to candidates and election results.
“When you have a presidential candidate, you have to be extremely careful because it becomes a very, very fatty cloud of petitioning. Not just the candidature, but even the eventual win of the president.”
Kioni also said transparent party processes were important in giving confidence to aspirants, especially young people seeking to enter elective politics, that they would receive a fair chance during nominations.
“If you cannot be able to demonstrate that the NDC nomination process will be free and fair, how do you assure the aspirant that the same will be done during their nomination at their respective places?” he asked.
He urged Jubilee and other parties preparing for the 2027 elections to strengthen their internal systems, saying a reliable delegate register should be the starting point for credible party leadership contests and nomination exercises.