Kenya’s fourth President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has accepted the recent High Court ruling barring retired presidents from holding leadership positions in political parties for more than six months after leaving office.
In a statement on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, a day after the ruling, Uhuru said he respected the decision and was ready to hand over leadership of the Jubilee Party.
According to the former President, the ruling should not be viewed as a restriction on his political life, but as an affirmation of Kenya’s democratic institutions.
“The Office of the former President has taken note of the High Court’s ruling upholding Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which guides the transition of retired presidents from formal political party leadership”, Uhuru stated.
“H.E. 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. The 4th President of the Republic of Kenya acknowledges that leadership is not the chair one occupies; it is the trust one cultivates,” he added.
Uhuru said the ruling had now cleared the way for the long-delayed handover of the Jubilee Party chairmanship, which had been affected by an internal dispute.
Additionally, he maintained that the delay was not due to his reluctance to relinquish the position, but followed a contested dispute within the party that required legal clarification.
With this, Uhuru expressed willingness to complete the handover in accordance with the Jubilee Party constitution and the law.
