Jubilee Party has lodged a formal complaint with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), accusing President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of adopting its ‘Mbele Pamoja’ slogan without authorisation.
In a letter dated Thursday, November 5, and addressed to the Registrar of Political Parties, Jubilee Secretary General Moitalel Ole Kenta raised concerns over UDA’s decision to incorporate the phrase into its newly announced slogan, ‘Usawa ni Sawa – Mbele Pamoja’.
Jubilee argued that the expression was already registered as part of its political identity and should not be adopted by another political party without regard to existing registration records.
“Jubilee Party hereby formally lodges a complaint with your office concerning the adoption and intended use of its registered political slogan, ‘MBELE PAMOJA,’ by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA),” part of the letter read.
The party maintained that it had consistently used the slogan in its political messaging, public engagements and organisational activities, making it an important part of its identity.
It warned that UDA’s decision to incorporate the same phrase into its official slogan could amount to the appropriation of an established political identifier.
In its complaint, Jubilee asked the Registrar to verify and formally confirm the registration status of ‘Mbele Pamoja’ as its official slogan.
The party also wants the ORPP to issue a notice directing UDA to stop using, publishing or incorporating the phrase into its official slogan pending the determination of the complaint.
Additionally, Jubilee asked the Registrar to take appropriate administrative and regulatory action to protect the political parties register and provide a written decision explaining the action taken.
The complaint comes a day after UDA announced a change to its political slogan, dropping the popular ‘Kazi ni Kazi’ phrase in favour of ‘Usawa ni Sawa – Mbele Pamoja’.
In a notice issued on Thursday, November 5, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar announced the change and invited party members to submit written representations on the new slogan.
The new phrase marks a shift in the party’s political messaging as Ruto prepares for the 2027 General Election.
The President has been popularising the message during his political engagements, linking it to equality, fairness and equitable distribution of development across the country.
UDA’s adoption of the phrase has now drawn objections from Jubilee, setting up a potential dispute before the political parties regulator.