This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
Registrar Rejects Jubilee Asili Name Application ¶
On June 22, 2020, Anne Nderitu, the acting Registrar of Political Parties, wrote to Andrew Simiyu, a trader who had applied to reserve the Jubilee Asili name, informing him that the name did not meet the threshold required for registration.
According to Nderitu, the name resembled another registered political party (Jubilee) and therefore did not comply with section eight of the Political Parties Act, 2011. She also stated that registration of Jubilee Asili would not be in line with article 91 of the Constitution of Kenya.
Simiyu, however, vowed to challenge the ruling at the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal, saying he was not satisfied with the decision. He claimed that there was no resemblance between Jubilee Party and Jubilee Asili, and that the rejection of registration was not just the position of the registrar, but was more political.
Simiyu had applied to reserve the Jubilee Asili name after being excited by the name, which he found catchy. He had also revealed that he was not interested in politics but was drawn to the name.
It is worth noting that Deputy President William Ruto and his allies had recently held a meeting at the Jubilee Asili centre in Kilimani, Nairobi.
