Jeremiah Kioni threatens to support Ruto re-election over Gachagua’s remarks

Jubilee Party deputy leader Jeremiah Kioni has indirectly hit out at Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of micromanaging the opposition and disrespecting fellow United Opposition leaders.

Speaking in Ndaragwa Constituency, Nyandarua County, on Saturday, September 13, Kioni took issue with Gachagua’s remarks against former United Opposition spokesperson Mukhisa Kituyi, who quit the coalition arguing that the team could not form a secretariat to strategise for the 2027 election.

Gachagua had, in telling off Kituyi, insisted that the opposition does not need a secretariat to function, further suggesting that the team would bear moles, mostly from the Jubilee Party.

But Kioni maintained that the DCP leader was overstepping his mandate within the coalition and was too quick to point fingers without basis.

“To claim that you are unable to form a secretariat because there are moles within the Jubilee Party, that is hitting rock bottom. It is simply appalling. When Mukhisa Kituyi left the secretariat, he remarked that those people lacked the capacity to discuss substantive issues; only Fred Matiang’i and Martha Karua were actually discussing issues. So, does he intend to label Dr. Kituyi a mole?” Kioni posed.

The Jubilee deputy leader went further to claim that Gachagua’s accusations were, by extension, an attack on the party’s preferred presidential candidate, Fred Matiang’i, who he said sits within the very secretariat under scrutiny.

He also referenced remarks by party leader Uhuru Kenyatta made recently in Kitale, where the former president called for Kenyans to be left to freely choose their preferred leader, contrasting that stance with what he termed Gachagua’s meddling.

According to him, Gachagua was being insecure over Uhuru’s pronouncements, vowing not to allow the former president to be disrespected.

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“Let me reiterate: this fellow (Gachagua), who has been moving around here and there, has disrespected us for long. He claimed they failed to form a secretariat because of moles within Jubilee. Now, listen to this; the person sitting on that secretariat is Fred Matiang’i. Therefore, he is effectively insulting our presidential candidate. The other day, our party leader (Uhuru Kenyatta), while in Kitale, said that Kenyans should be allowed to decide for themselves, to choose the leader they want. And then he (Gachagua) said he’s sending elders to Uhuru because it appears Uhuru has started talking to President William Ruto,” Kioni said.

Kioni did not hold back in his criticism of Gachagua’s conduct towards other opposition figures, describing his behaviour as disrespectful and warning that it risked fracturing the coalition ahead of the 2027 polls.

He cited instances in which Gachagua allegedly insulted various leaders during recent visits to different regions, including Nakuru, where he claimed the DCP leader disparaged former governor Lee Kinyanjui, and Laikipia, where he took issue with former governor Nderitu Muriithi.

Kioni further noted that Gachagua had similarly disrespected Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, questioning what gave him the authority to judge other leaders in such a manner.

“This guy (Gachagua) is incredibly disrespectful; he thinks people are fools, and we are saying: enough is enough. I want to tell Kenyans that the person who will break up the united opposition is this very man, with his insults and disrespect toward others. That is the path leading us back totwo-term. So, we are telling him now: stop ruining the united opposition.

We knew where we were headed. Now we are confused and being derailed, unsure of our direction. He is not our agenda. I tell you, from today on, we will not speak about him again. We are coming to campaign for our candidate,” Kioni said.

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