Uhuru Makes Surprise Visit To Jubilee Party HQ [VIDEO]

UPDATE: Former President Uhuru Kenyatta made a surprise visit to the Jubilee Party Headquarters on Wednesday, April 26 amidst wrangles surrounding the party takeover.

The former Head of State was escorted to the party's base of operations by tight security as well as supporters as anti-riot police officers opened the gate for him to enter while restoring order.

"Anybody who is free to leave a party can leave and go to another party. We have no quarrel with anyone. We want to guard our party and those who do not want, are free to leave.

"Let us maintain peace. Police officers have better things to do other than coming here to restore peace. Then we see people coming to cause chaos, we don't have any problems with anyone, we just want peace," he stated while condemning those seeking to cause chaos within the Jubilee party. 

Anti-riot police officers were deployed to the Jubilee Party Headquarters in Kileleshwa, Nairobi on Wednesday, April 26, lobbing teargas to disperse supporters allied to Jeremiah Kioni and Kanini Kega.

The officers sealed off the headquarters and locked out a number of party officials from the premises.

Photos and videos seen by Viral Tea showed party officials allied to Kanini Kega and journalists barred from accessing the offices which sparked a commotion.

The supporters of the two groups then engaged police in running battles in their attempts to gain access to the offices by force. Reports indicate that the two groups were fighting over the takeover of the party.

Here's a video courtesy of Citizen TV:

Speaking to the media, Kega revealed that the party got wind of commotion in the Jubilee headquarters and resolved as the National Executive Council (NEC) to shut down the building.

"That we are going to close these offices because Kioni is purporting to operate from the Jubilee headquarters yet he is not the secretary-general.

"So from today, these offices will be closed. In fact, we've even informed the community because we feel that the community is now becoming part and parcel of the challenges that are facing our party that are being created by only three individuals and in particular, the former secretary general," he addressed.

Former Member of the Nairobi County Assembly Mark Ndung'u had also accused Kioni of occupying the office illegally, claiming that Kioni and his team had flouted the law by continuing to hold a large section of the headquarters to themselves.

"Our SG is Kanini Kega and we want to access the offices. If they do not want, they should then move the offices to another place," Ndung'u stated.

Ndung'u, allied to Kega and President William Ruto, also claimed that the Kenya Kwanza government could not recognise party officials running the party from the back door as was the case in previous governments, further accusing former President Uhuru Kenyatta for remaining silent on the direction the party would take to avoid splinter groups from emerging from within.

"The party leader has never spoken on the matter. We have tried to look for him. You know he is a former President. We have seen him in Mombasa praying for the country and he should continue with the same," he added.

Confusion arose over the leadership role at the former ruling party after the Kega-led faction suspended Kioni as the Secretary-General on Friday, February 10.

Six days later, Kioni was handed a boost after the Political Parties Tribunal suspended the decision of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) to ratify his ouster from the party.