Uhuru confirms Jubilee’s stay in Azimio, launches nationwide party drive

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has confirmed that the Jubilee Party will remain in the Azimio la Umoja coalition, while also unveiling fresh plans to reconnect with supporters through a countrywide mobilisation drive.

Speaking during a National Delegates Convention in Nairobi on Friday, Uhuru said the decision to join Azimio was made at the party’s last NDC before the 2022 elections and remains unchanged despite shifts within the coalition.

“For the sake of clarity, I wish to remind Kenyans that the Jubilee Party, as you all know, has been largely silent for the past three years. When we last convened the NDC toward the 2022 general elections, the party resolved to become a member of the Azimio la Umoja coalition because I, as the party leader then and now, was convinced that the coalition and its members shared a common vision for our country. In the years since then, however, the Azimio coalition membership has changed,” he said.

He added: “Notwithstanding these changes, the party, as per the decisions of our organs, remains a member of what is left of this coalition, and any decision on whether to reinvest in it or leave it will be a decision for the party’s leadership to take when the time comes. But as of now, we are where we were before.”

In a lighthearted remark, Uhuru described himself as a leader who “does not take corners or reverse at convenience,” a statement interpreted as directed at politicians who abandoned the coalition.

He said Jubilee is preparing for the 2027 elections and will present strong candidates across the country. “The party shall be ready with the best possible candidates in the coming elections,” he declared.

The former president also launched a nationwide “meet the people” campaign that will take him to counties and grassroots communities as part of a recruitment and mobilisation effort.

“Mimi nitajitolea sasa kwa sababu tumesema tunataka kuanzisha recruitment drive kuanza kuzunguka mashinani. Kila area tupatane na nyinyi tuongee pamoja na nyinyi…So that together we know which direction forward in the future,” he told delegates.

Uhuru emphasised that party leaders must remain accountable to the people. “If you want a seat, the owners of those seats are here. Talk to them well, are we in agreement?” he said.

He further assured members that past problems of corruption within Jubilee’s internal systems would not be repeated.

“I will make sure I oversee that process until the end, and those problems that occurred earlier, where people were selling tickets and collecting funds according to the money they were given, that system is finished. Transparency will be maintained in all the procedures that we shall follow,” he added.

Calling for unity, Uhuru urged members to avoid divisive politics and instead focus on rebuilding the party’s strength ahead of the elections. “Let’s all be united and avoid divisive politics,” he said.

The engagement programme is set to begin in the coming weeks, with Uhuru personally leading the drive, signaling his continued influence and commitment to shaping Jubilee’s future as the country approaches the 2027 polls.