By Mdadisi Mmoja
In a landmark ruling, the Employment and Labour Relations Court has ordered the Jubilee Party to compensate three former senior officials for unfair dismissal, reinforcing the need for fair employment practices within political organizations. The court found the 2021 terminations of Nicodemus Bore, Peter Kigaura, and Lemiso Godfrey unjust and unlawful.
Bore, Kigaura, and Godfrey, who served as Director of Membership Development, Director of Elections, Strategy, and Political Affairs, and Director of Logistics respectively, played key roles in the Jubilee Party’s 2017 election victory. On October 8, 2021, acting Executive Director Wambai Gicho conveyed the National Management Committee’s (NMC) decision to eliminate their positions as part of a restructuring exercise, classifying their roles as consultancy services.
The officials contested this, asserting they were full-time employees, not consultants. They presented evidence of regular monthly payments of Ksh 300,000 and argued that their termination letters, signed by an unauthorized individual, were invalid. The Jubilee Party maintained that the trio were consultants engaged on an as-needed basis, but failed to provide supporting documentation.
On June 11, 2025, a Judge ruled in favour of the claimants, stating, “The Jubilee Party denied employing them but provided no evidence. The claimants’ case for unfair termination is proven.” The court awarded each official Ksh 900,000 (three months’ salary) for unfair dismissal, plus Ksh 150,000 for prorated leave, totalling Ksh 1,050,000 per individual.
This ruling underscores the importance of adhering to employment laws, even in political organizations. Legal experts praised the decision, with one noting, “This case shows that no organization, regardless of influence, can bypass employment laws. Workers in political settings deserve fair treatment.”
The decision challenges informal contract practices in Kenyan political parties and may prompt the Jubilee Party to review its staffing processes. For Bore, Kigaura, and Godfrey, the compensation offers closure, while the case sets a precedent for protecting workers’ rights across the political landscape.
Mdadisi Mmoja is a journalist with The Weekly Vision, covering political and legal affairs.
