Delegates have converged at the Ngong Race Course grounds to attend the National Delegates Conference (NDC) organized by the Jubilee faction under the leadership of Jeremiah Kioni. This significant event will be presided over by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The conference takes place amidst an intense campaign by the faction led by the former President, aiming to remove party members who have deviated from the party’s principles.
However, a faction within the Jubilee Party, led by Kanini Kega, has opposed the planned conference, arguing that it cannot proceed until the internal disputes within the party are resolved.
The Jubilee party has been facing internal conflicts since the Kega-led faction made changes to the party’s leadership, resulting in the removal of Kenyatta as the party leader. Nominated Senator Sabina Chege has been appointed as the acting party leader, while Kega has taken over the position of Secretary General from Jeremiah Kioni.
Initially, the preferred venue for the conference was Bomas of Kenya, but it was reported to be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance.
In a notice dated May 20, Kenyatta, who had unsuccessfully supported opposition leader Raila Odinga as his successor, announced the change of venue to Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi.
Despite initial resistance and defiance against a letter from Bomas of Kenya, the last-minute change of venue occurred as a result of sustained pressure from party lawmakers who have since shifted their loyalty to President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance-led Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Kenyatta emphasized that all other conference details remain unchanged as per the notice published on April 29, 2023.