The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has rejected a request by a city businessman to reserve Jubilee Asili name.
The man identified as Andrew James Simiyu had written to the parties registrar to reserve the name on June 18, the day Deputy President William Ruto allies unveiled Jubilee Asili Centre offices.
But in a letter to Simiyu, Anne Nderitu, the Registrar of Political Parties, declined to approve the request on grounds that the name did not meet the requirements of section 8 of the Political Parties Act 2011.
“Kindly suggest other names for verification. Should you need any further clarification or assistance please visit our office,” the letter dated June 22 reads.
Read: Pawn? Businessman Beats Ruto’s Men To Reserve Jubilee Asili Name
Section 8 of the Act states that the registrar may refuse an application of a political party if the name of the political party, its abbreviation or the symbol “so nearly resembles the name or symbol, or an abbreviation of the name of another political party”.
In a recent interview with a local media Simiyu said that he rushed to reserve the name after he found it “catchy”. He also denied being a politician.
“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 Daily Nation.
The man had been criticized by Ruto’s supporters who claimed that he is a pawn being used to frustrate the Jubilee Asili agenda and the DP’s 2022 presidential ambitions.
Read Also: Jubilee Asili Is Not A Party, It Is A Meeting Point For Disgruntled Members – Murkomen
Ruto allies unveiled Jubilee Asili after a meeting with the DP last week on Thursday.
Jubilee Asili uses symbols as the Jubilee Party but with Ruto’s defunct United Republican Party (URP) colours. URP merged into Jubilee prior to the 2017 General Elections.
Despite Ruto’s right-hand man Kipchumba Murkomen clarifying to the nation that Jubilee Asili is not a party, a section of Kenyans believed that the DP’s camp had the intention of using it as Ruto’s new vehicle in the 2022 race to State House.
Read Also: Uhuru’s Man Murathe Says Jubilee Asili Is Evidence Of Successful Eviction Of “Rebels” From Gov’t
The Elgeyo Marakwet Senator insisted that the lawmakers opened the offices located on Makindu Road, off Riara Road in Nairobi’s Kilimani area after they were denied access to Jubilee Party Headquarters located in Pangani, Nairobi.
But many of the DP’s allies who attended the meeting knew that registering Jubilee Asili would be a tall order from the onset.
“What I know is that it is not possible to register such a name, according to the Political Parties Act,” Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said recently.
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