The ruling Jubilee Party has redesigned its logo and motto by dropping all the elements associated with the United Republican Party (URP).
The yellow and black colours have been dropped; the clasped hands have been replaced by a flying dove carrying an olive branch; and the motto “Tuko Pamoja” is now “Mbele Pamoja”.
Yellow and black were colours associated with URP, a party that was headed by Deputy President William Ruto and which was dissolved while joining forces with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) party among other parties to form Jubilee Party in 2016.
The new logo, with only red and white colours, has been presented to the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (Kipi), the custodian of the country’s trademarks, for registration. As per Kipi’s November journal, the logo is to be used for political lobbying. The party will claim its exclusive use in clothing, footwear and headgear, plus any other representations.
Anyone who might wish to oppose the logo’s registration has until February 22, 2022, to present an objection to Kipi. It will be accepted upon payment of the prescribed fees.
A reset of the logo to bear the dove that was prominent in Mr Kenyatta’s TNA might well be the clearest symbol of the falling-out between him and Dr Ruto. Their alliance won the 2013 and 2017 general elections, though they led two different parties in 2013.
Mr Joshua Kuttuny, the Jubilee deputy secretary-general, told Saturday Nation yesterday that the party plans a “total rebranding. You will see a new Jubilee, a new face, because we are starting afresh. You know, it represents a new beginning because remember some of our friends had to leave. So the party has to remain for the owners,” he said.
Asked to explain the dropping of the URP-linked features in the logo, the Cherangany MP left no doubt as to the intentions.
“Some of the colours we are going to discard are old colours that represent the characters we don’t want to be associated with. And besides, anyway, you will see that they have run away with some of the colours. So, clearly, we are starting afresh with another slogan, colours and the rest. We will retain a few, but you will see something completely different.”
Regarding the dove with an olive branch, he said the new identity of the party will be “to run the narrative of peace. Every other action, be it the colours, has to be about peace. It has to be a symbol of peace. So, you will see more of the symbols and colours that bring out peace,” said the official.
In July, Mr Kuttuny said a rebrand was in the offing, noting that the party’s national management committee would approve a tweak of colours, symbol and logo. The lawmaker said the necessary procedures regarding the new logo will be complete by mid-January. “By the end of January, we should be launching the new party,” he said. “We’ll launch it at the national delegates’ conference, because it’s them who are supposed to approve what we have come up with.”
Currently, Jubilee Party is headed for a coalition with the Orange Democratic Movement led by Mr Raila Odinga. The structure of the coalition will become clear in the coming days. A Bill sponsored by Majority leader Amos Kimunya, to be discussed in Parliament next week, might spell a new future for such coalitions. BY DAILY NATION