The Jubilee Party has come out strongly to defend its leader, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, following his involvement in a political dispute over the handling of campaign funds during Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful 2022 presidential bid.
The defense follows a heated exchange between ODM Secretary General and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the party’s Director of Elections, who is also Suna East MP, Junet Mohamed.
The two leaders traded accusations over who was responsible for the alleged misuse of campaign funds.
Sifuna accused Junet of mismanaging funds donated by Uhuru Kenyatta to support Raila’s campaign.
In response, Junet alleged that Uhuru used close family members and associates to embezzle the money.
Addressing the media on Tuesday in Nairobi, Jubilee dismissed the accusations, claiming they were dishonest, politically motivated, and orchestrated at the instigation of the government to divert attention from its failures.
“At no time has our Party Leader, or the Jubilee Party, engaged in any plot to destabilise, ‘buy’, or hijack any political party,” Jubilee said in a statement.
The party described the attacks on Uhuru as manufactured and aimed at creating a scapegoat for what it termed a government that has lost public confidence.
Jubilee maintained that Uhuru openly and genuinely supported Raila Odinga’s 2022 presidential bid, arguing that those who undermined the campaign were within the ODM party itself.
“They should stop projecting their betrayal onto Uhuru Kenyatta. Jubilee will not allow our party leader to be dragged into schemes designed to sell out a party that Raila Odinga built over two decades,” the statement added.
The former ruling party further claimed that the accusations were intended to stir ethnic tension and revive old political divisions.
It said Jubilee is preparing to reclaim its place in Kenya’s political future through a nationwide membership recruitment drive, transparent engagement with aspirants at all levels, and the formation of alliances with like-minded political parties.
During the ongoing dispute, Junet alleged that funds meant for election agents were released by Uhuru to his brother, Muhoho Kenyatta, who then appointed a man identified as Peter Mburu to oversee recruitment and payments.
Junet claimed Mburu presented himself as an IT expert capable of preventing electoral manipulation by the IEBC, but no agents were ultimately recruited in either the Mt. Kenya region or Raila’s stronghold of Luo Nyanza.
Junet further alleged that Muhoho operated from a highly restricted office in Westlands, from where campaign logistics and agents’ payments were coordinated, adding that even Raila himself could not freely access the office.
He rejected claims of betrayal, arguing that Raila would not have appointed him Leader of Minority in the National Assembly had he lost his trust.
Meanwhile, Sifuna accused Junet of hypocrisy, saying he was now portraying Uhuru’s funds as “dirty” despite having benefited from them during the campaign.
