This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, 2020, Deputy President William Ruto's allies suffered a setback in their bid to register Jubilee Asili as a political party.
Their attempt was foiled by a city businessman, Andrew Simiyu, who had already reserved the name with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
Simiyu, a clearing and forwarding businessman, denied any interest in politics, claiming he was simply excited by the name.
"I am waiting for feedback from the registrar to know the fate of my application. I am not interested in politics. I am just a businessman engaged in clearing and forwarding. I was just excited by the name," Simiyu told the Nation.
However, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, one of those running the Jubilee Asili movement, alleged that Simiyu was being used by people who wanted to frustrate the DP.
"What I know is that it is not possible to register such a name, according to the Political Parties Act," Kuria said.
The Jubilee Asili movement had closely borrowed from the Jubilee Party, using the same logo and colors, albeit without the color red.
