Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has agreed to facilitate the handover of the Jubilee Party chairmanship following a High Court ruling upholding a law that restricts retired presidents from holding formal positions in political parties beyond six months after leaving office. In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 15, Uhuru’s office said the court decision had provided the legal clarity needed to resolve the long-standing dispute over the Jubilee leadership. The former President welcomed the ruling, saying it should not be viewed as a restriction on his political participation but as an affirmation of Kenya’s democratic institutions.

“Uhuru Kenyatta has received this ruling in a spirit of profound respect for the judiciary. He notes that the court’s ruling is not a restriction on his political life; it is a reaffirmation of our democratic maturity,” his office said.

The statement added that leadership should not be defined solely by the formal position an individual occupies.

The High Court, in a ruling by Justice Lawrence Mugambi, upheld Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which bars a retired president from holding office in a political party for more than six months after leaving the presidency. The provision was challenged in court on constitutional grounds, with petitioners arguing that it unfairly limited the political rights and freedom of association of former presidents. The court rejected the challenge and upheld the statutory restriction. The ruling does not prevent former presidents from participating in political activities altogether. Rather, it concerns their ability to hold formal positions within political parties after the prescribed period.

Uhuru’s office said the delay in transferring the Jubilee chairmanship was not caused by his unwillingness to relinquish the position but followed an internal dispute that required legal determination.

“With the court’s guidance, that path is now clear,” the statement said.

The former President has consequently expressed willingness to see the handover completed openly and lawfully, in accordance with the Jubilee Party constitution and the applicable law. The development clears the way for Jubilee to begin the process of transitioning its formal leadership away from Uhuru. Uhuru left office on September 13, 2022, after serving two terms as Kenya’s fourth President. The High Court decision does not bar him from taking part in political discussions or supporting political causes. The immediate effect is on his formal position within Jubilee. His office stressed that relinquishing the chairmanship should not be interpreted as an end to his political involvement.

“The 4th President of the Republic of Kenya acknowledges that leadership is not the chair one occupies; it is the trust one cultivates,” the statement said.

The court decision comes as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election. For Jubilee, the immediate task is to implement the leadership transition through the party’s own constitutional and organisational procedures. The party has experienced prolonged internal disagreements over its leadership since Uhuru left office, making the court ruling significant for determining the way forward. Uhuru’s office said he looked forward to Jubilee’s internal processes proceeding without further hindrance and reaffirmed his willingness to facilitate a lawful transition.

The former President is therefore expected to relinquish the formal party position while remaining free to participate in Kenya’s wider political discourse. For Jubilee, the next stage will be determining who assumes the party’s formal leadership and how the transition will be conducted under the party constitution.