Former Attorney General Justin Muturi.
A fresh storm is brewing within the Democratic Party (DP), which was once led by former President Mwai Kibaki. The dispute concerns the reported reinstatement of former Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi as party leader.
Top officials have issued contradictory statements on the process, deepening confusion over the party’s leadership.
Mr Muturi, who had stepped aside from the position after being appointed as Attorney General by President William Ruto, is said to have been re-endorsed as DP leader during a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Nairobi on Tuesday.
However, the announcement has been met with resistance from a section of party officials, signalling deep internal divisions.
Conflicting official accounts
Speaking to Nation, DP Secretary General Jacob Haji dismissed the announcement, saying no conclusive decision had been made regarding Mr Muturi’s return.
“We held a NEC meeting on Tuesday and there were proposals for party leadership positions. Some people proposed Muturi, others proposed former Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina among other individuals to take over the party’s leadership,” said Mr Haji.
“We then agreed to convene a National Governing Council to deliberate on the matter and make a decision. As far as I know, we agreed as NEC to meet after two weeks, fill all vacant positions and ratify our party constitution. So there was no conclusive decision on Muturi as the DP party leader. I’m not aware of the meeting which endorsed Muturi,” he added.
But in a direct contradiction, DP National Chairman Esau Kioni said that the party resolved to reinstate Mr Muturi during a meeting held at the United Kenya Club in Nairobi.
“We had a NEC meeting. There were disagreements but we concluded well. We agreed to reinstate Muturi as party leader,” Mr Kioni said.
“He had left to be Attorney General and Cabinet Secretary. But on the need to have a leader, we gave him a mandate so he can participate in the opposition activities in search for a presidential candidate,” he added.
Mr Muturi, a seasoned politician and former National Assembly Speaker, had been elected DP leader ahead of the 2022 General Election.
The party later joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition, backing Dr Ruto’s successful presidential bid.
However, after his appointment as Attorney General, Muturi’s role in party politics was curtailed, leaving a leadership vacuum.
His reported return appears to be aimed at giving the party renewed direction amid shifting political dynamics, especially with the emerging debate over opposition unity and a possible joint presidential candidate for 2027.
Muturi's own stance
Former CS Justin Muturi.
Mr Muturi was, however, bullish of his reinstatement, noting that it marks a new chapter in the party.
“A new chapter begins for the Democratic Party. I sincerely thank the members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for their confidence in me and their unanimous resolution to reinstate me as the Party Leader with immediate effect, subject to ratification by the National Delegates Convention (NDC) later this year,” Mr Muturi said.
This decision, he noted “is not just a personal honour, it is a call to action as we work together to rebuild, re-energize, and reposition our party for the future.”
Sources within the party suggest that the leadership dispute in DP may reflect deeper power struggles and regional alignments within the party, which has traditionally drawn support from Mt Kenya region.
The conflicting narratives now put the spotlight on the upcoming National Governing Council (NGC) meeting, which could either confirm or overturn the decision on Muturi’s status.
As things stand, the Democratic Party appears to be teetering on the edge of a full-blown internal fallout—unless its organs can reconcile the divergent positions in time.
Early this year, DP, founded by the retired 3rd president of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, announced that it was ready to give refuge to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his allies following their plan to exit President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
However, Mr Gachagua has since formed his own party - Democracy for the Citizen’s party (DCP) after a dramatic exit from the ruling UDA.
In January, DP said associating with president Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza was no longer tenable, due to the administration’s governance style.
“We don’t even believe Kenya Kwanza still exists after the president and his UDA party decided to form the broad- based government which incorporated ODM party members in cabinet. This marked the end of Kenya Kwanza,” Mr Haji, the DP Secretary General said then.
