The Jubilee grand party launch is perhaps the most talked about event in town for the last one week, owing to its prominence both in cash and in capacity.

13 political parties will dissolve and join the Jubilee Party, headed by president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

The 13 parties, which include President Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) and William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) are expected to dissolve today ahead of the grand launch of the Jubilee Party on Saturday at the the Kasarani stadium.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy on Tuesday this week hosted the chairpersons and secretaries-general of the 13 parties at State House, Nairobi.

“We want all Kenyans to be and to feel included in government and this is the reason why I am staking my legacy on political unity,” President Kenyatta said.

The other parties which will be folding to join the Jubilee Party are Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), United Democratic Forum (UDF), National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), Ford People, the Republican Congress Party (RC), Tip Tip, the United Party of Kenya (UPK), the Grand National Unity (GNU), Mr Kiraitu Murungi’s Alliance Party of Kenya and Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka’s New Ford-Kenya.

The affiliate parties, which are all convening today simultaneously, are expected to pass resolutions to dissolve their parties.

PNU opts out of merger

The Party of National Unity (PNU) yesterday announced that it will not be folding to join the new Jubilee Party with the party Secretary General John Anunda issuing a notice yesterday calling off the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) set for Friday and rescheduled it to October 28.

Cord leader Raila Odinga and ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi have however criticized the jubilee party merger, saying that it is a threat to democracy as it will take the country back to the one-party era. “Jubilee merger undermines the spirit of multi-party democracy” Raila said.

“I welcome the announcement about the formation of a new party called Jubilee but I must tell them that the days of one-party State, the days of ‘Baba na Mama’ are long gone,” said Mr Odinga ” adding that Jubilee’s trend of buying political leaders will not go far.

“They are buying individuals, not the people,” he said.

“For all practical purposes, [the formation of the Jubilee Party] is motivated and driven by nostalgia for a single party system. Kenyans must be wary and on guard that this could be the beginning of life presidential terms. This is why there are illegalities being committed, the law being circumvented and flouted with impunity in the formation of [the] Jubilee Party under [the] guidance of the President,” Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi said.

The Jubilee Party was previously Jubilee Alliance which won the 2013 elections to form the Jubilee Government.

Financial Muscle

The Jubilee Party has gone all out to showcase its financial muscle with the acquisition of a prestigious eight-storey building that will serve as its headquarter (Jubilee Centre) in Pangani. The party has also acquired 47 branded Toyota Prados for the much anticipated launch.