President Uhuru Kenyatta says the Jubilee Party is set to be launched during a two-day national convention set for September 9 and 10.
Speaking during a press briefing at State House Nairobi, the Head of State indicated that constituent parties will hold their National Delegates Congress (NDCs) the previous day at the Bomas of Kenya to ratify their merger with the Jubilee Party.
He announced the merger of 12 parties, nine of which have already issued their notices to the Registrar of Political Parties. It should be noted that this comes as the nation is getting ready for 2017 presidential polls and amidst riots by the main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by Raila Odinga that seeks for reforms at the electoral commission of the country with a move to have the whole commission reshuffled claiming that the elections next year will not be free and fair with the current members in the commission.
“The parties shall formalise their resolutions to dissolve and forthwith join the Jubilee Party. Thereafter, I as party leader together with the Deputy President who is the deputy party leader shall preside together over the inaugural jubilee national convention on the 9th and 10th of September 2016 where the new grand national movement will be unveiled,” he stated.
The notices are signed by Secretary Generals of respective parties who confirmed that all the procedures have been followed and completed to pave way for the formal merger. President Kenyatta also reiterated that there will be no preferred candidates during the polls and stated that each contender will have to be elected democratically.
“We stand firmly that the success of our party must be based on the party membership, on the mwananchi deciding for themselves who shall represent them in the various positions that will be available in the next general elections,” he said.
The Head of State further indicated that party nominations will be carried out by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to ensure transparency and fairness in the process.
“The Jubilee Alliance has proposed in accordance with article 88 (4) of the Kenya Constitution that party nominations be carried out by the IEBC to guarantee transparency and fairness ion the nomination process. We hope that all political parties will support this initiative,” he stated.
However the opposition leader Raila Odinga warned that the merger would take the country back to a single party system.
