By Peace Muthoka.
NAIROBI, June 19, 2026 — A bitter leadership dispute has rocked the Ukweli Party after presidential aspirant Sungu Oyoo launched a scathing attack on the election of activist and politician Boniface Mwangi as party leader, alleging that the process was marred by irregularities and constitutional violations.
The fallout comes barely a week after Mwangi was elected during the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) in Nairobi, an exercise that party officials described as a democratic process aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 General Election. (People Daily)
However, Oyoo, who has been a member of the party since 2016 and is seeking the presidency in 2027, claims the conference was neither free nor fair. Speaking in Nairobi, he accused a faction allied to Mwangi of orchestrating what he termed an illegal takeover of the party through a carefully choreographed process designed to install preferred leaders.
According to Oyoo, the wrangles began after the party embarked on efforts to comply with requirements issued by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties following a deregistration dispute earlier this year. He said members had united to save the party, only for internal divisions to emerge over the management of the reform process.
At the centre of the dispute is the June 12 National Delegates Conference, which Oyoo insists was convened without the full involvement and approval of key party organs. He alleges that some members of the National Executive Council were sidelined and that constitutional procedures governing the conference were ignored.
Oyoo further claimed that the party’s electoral structures were altered in the run-up to the conference, while delegates’ lists were allegedly manipulated to favour a particular outcome. He also accused organizers of denying some legitimate delegates access to the venue while allowing individuals whose membership status could not be independently verified to participate in the voting process.
“The events of June 12 were not an election but a selection intended to rubber-stamp impunity,” Oyoo said.
He also raised concerns over allegations of vote influence, claiming some delegates received direct financial facilitation from candidates seeking office. Such actions, he argued, undermine transparency and accountability within a party that has built its identity around truth, openness and justice.
The outspoken politician questioned whether a party aspiring to lead the country could afford to disregard its own constitution and democratic principles.
“You cannot call yourself the Party of Truth while conducting processes that members consider fraudulent and opaque,” he said.
Oyoo also took aim at Mwangi’s return to the party, arguing that some leaders who had previously left the movement had come back only to take control of its structures. He claimed the latest developments pointed to wider attempts to influence the direction of the political outfit as it prepares for the next election cycle.
Despite the escalating tensions, Oyoo said his faction would pursue what he described as an internal democratic struggle aimed at restoring accountability, transparency and constitutional order within the party. He called on members across the country to remain vigilant and actively participate in efforts to safeguard the party’s founding ideals.
The dispute exposes growing cracks within a party that has sought to position itself as a vehicle for political reform and citizen-driven leadership. While Mwangi has pledged to build stronger grassroots structures and expand the party’s national footprint following his election, the resistance from a section of members signals that the battle for control of Ukweli Party is far from over.
As rival factions dig in and trade accusations, the leadership contest threatens to overshadow the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections, raising fresh questions about unity and internal democracy within one of Kenya’s emerging political movements.
