Uhuru's mole? United Opposition's case against Kioni

But now, Mr Kioni faces allegations that cut to the core of opposition unity — is he safeguarding the movement, or quietly advancing Mr Kenyatta’s agenda to have his former Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, as the ‘united opposition’s’ flag bearer against President William Ruto in 2027?

Also Read: Uhuru under fire over Ruto attack at Jubilee conference

Mr Kioni is now being branded a possible mole within the opposition, raising urgent questions about loyalty, power, and the real direction of the ‘united opposition.’

At the initial stages of the formation of the united opposition, bringing together former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, People’s Liberation Party chief Martha Karua and Democratic Party’s Justin Muturi, Mr Kioni was Jubilee’s representative to the negotiations table.

Months later, Jubilee National Chairman Torome Saitoti stepped in as Mr Kioni gradually faded from the scene.

'Unilateral agenda'

According to insiders who spoke to Nation, both Mr Gachagua and Mr Musyoka were reportedly displeased with Mr Kioni, accusing him of pushing a unilateral agenda that appeared to favour Dr Matiang’i.

Critics claim he is too outspoken, too quick to criticise other principals, and too eager to push Jubilee’s own agenda ahead of common ground.

Also Read: Uhuru move jolts Ruto, Gachagua

On Tuesday, Mr Kioni sensationally accused Mr Gachagua of trying to strong-arm Dr Matiang’i into abandoning Jubilee during coalition negotiations.

According to Mr Kioni, Mr Gachagua even directed Dr Matiang’i to sidestep Jubilee and instead front a smaller Kisii-based outfit.

“He is a project of president Ruto and is simply trying to hoodwink Kenyans,” Mr Kioni said of Mr Gachagua during the Tuesday interview. 

In the opposition circles, Mr Kioni is the point man advancing an “Uhuru agenda”—keeping Jubilee in play not just as a junior partner, but as a decisive kingmaker with its own terms.

His modus operandi have even irked Mr Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizen’s Party (DCP), with its deputy leader Cleophas Malala also fighting back, linking Jubilee with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), whose leader, president Ruto, they are seeking to dislodge from power.

At a DCP aspirant’s meeting in Kiambu County on Thursday last Week, Mr Malala warned opposition members against attending the Jubilee NDC held at the Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on Friday last Week.

“The event tomorrow (Friday September 26) is meant to undermine DCP and the influence of Rigathi Gachagua in Central Kenya. I must warn my compatriots from Central not to allow the party to divide the mountain.

Also Read: From Moi to Ruto: How Raila’s political gambits have kept successive regimes on edge 

"The red wheelbarrows (reference to Jubilee colours and Ruto’s wheelbarrow party symbol) is meant to divide us,” Mr Malala asserted.

True to his caution, the only opposition principal who attended the Jubilee NDC was Dr Matiang’i alone, as other partners led by Mr Gachagua attended Ms Karua’s fete, a few kilometres away.

On Wednesday, Mr Saitoti, the Jubilee National Party chairman, moved to downplay differences, distancing the party from Mr Kioni’s attacks against Mr Gachagua, terming the sentiments as “personal and not the party’s position.”

“Those talks are not the position of the party. Jubilee as a party has got organs and structures for decision making. We have the National Executive Council where I’m the chair and the National Delegates Conference… whatever is approved by those organs is what makes the official position of the party,” Mr Saitoti said.

In a telephone interview with Mr Kioni on Thursday, he told Nation that it is an open secret that he is Mr Kenyatta’s servant, by virtue of being Jubilee Secretary General.

Also Read: Why Ruto, Uhuru State House meeting has sparked debate

He, however, noted that his actions are driven not by division but by the search for unity.

Mr Kioni insisted that Jubilee’s efforts are firmly rooted in strengthening the broader opposition cause.

“I believe in an opposition that is united and a strong political party. What we are now doing is to build Jubilee to ensure that it is strong, so that it can also be able to sit at a unity forum with strength, now that we have been mandated by our legal organ, and we are out of the woods,” Mr Kioni explained.

He defended his push for Dr Matiang’i as the most viable contender, noting that each party is free to vouch for its candidate even as they pursue unity.

“We will be as strong as each and every individual party. So every party could have its own presidential candidate, but they finally agree on how to arrive at one. That is what we must work on.”

Also Read: Uhuru under fire over Ruto attack at Jubilee conference

For many within the opposition, the heart of the matter is not simply Mr Kioni’s rhetoric, but the shadow of his political mentor.

Polarizing figure

Since leaving State House in 2022, Mr Kenyatta has largely retreated from day-to-day politics, but his name still looms large over Jubilee.

It was Uhuru who backed Kioni’s leadership when the party was nearly torn apart by legal wrangles, shielding him from rivals who sought to wrest control.

There are concern as to whether Jubilee really operates as a truly independent partner in opposition unity talks, or is it subtly advancing the interests of a former President keen on retaining influence.

Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, an ally of Mr Musyoka insists that “it is unclear Jubilee’s true position in the current political dispensation.”

Also Read: Uhuru to youth: Africa’s health future lies in your hands

They view Mr Kioni as Uhuru’s mole, planted to safeguard his legacy and reassert his stake in 2027 negotiations.

The accusations against Kioni speak to deeper anxieties within the United Opposition Project.

With Uhuru still a polarizing figure in Mount Kenya, Jubilee’s every move risks being framed as an attempt to drag the opposition back into old wars.

Mr Kioni’s insistence on a united front reflects this reality—but his detractors doubt whether his brand of unity is truly collective, or merely Jubilee-first.

Whether he is truly Uhuru’s mole or simply a misunderstood messenger of party strength depends on where one stands.

To critics, he is a disruptive force, speaking out of turn and shielding Uhuru’s lingering interests under the guise of unity.

Prof Gitile Naituli of Multi Media University of Kenya warns that the ongoing exchange of accusations and mistrust between former President Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party and former Deputy President Gachagua’s only risks weakening the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

He argues that Mr Kenyatta’s political camp is in panic over its declining influence in Mt Kenya, leading to what he termed as misplaced attacks.

“Uhuru’s axis would have wanted Matiang’i to have acceptance in Mt Kenya. They are now panicking because they feel they will not penetrate. So, they are throwing accusations not here nor there,” he said.

Prof Naituli also dismissed claims that Mr Gachagua was undermining opposition unity, noting instead that Uhuru himself had shown only lukewarm support for Raila Odinga during the 2022 race.

“If anything, it is Uhuru who would want Ruto back to State House. We know of Uhuru’s lukewarm support for Raila in 2022 — he never really campaigned. So, accusing Gachagua of being a Ruto project looks far-fetched,” Prof Naituli said.

During the recent Jubilee NDC where Mr Kenyatta criticized president Ruto, not even Mr Gachagua was spared.

Taking aim at the former DP’s push for Mt Kenya dominance, Mr Kenyatta warned that ethnic or regional outfits were corrosive to unity.

“Politics is first and foremost about collective will of the people, not the narrow interests of a region,” he said, in remarks widely interpreted as a swipe at Mr Gachagua.

He also revisited the attacks on his family during the 2022 elections, recalling the invasion of his Northlands farm in 2023.

I have both lost elections and won elections…you can never be led by bitterness, anger, or hate,” he said. Although he fell short of naming names, many accuse Mr Gachagua of orchestrating the assault – an allegation he has repeatedly denied.

Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, an ally of Mr Gachagua believes that Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee appears to have made up its mind to go it alone in the 2027 election.

“There was a notion that there would be one united opposition, in which Jubilee was supposed to be part of. But in the last Jubilee NDC, it looks like they have opted to go on their own, probably to sponsor a candidate, most likely Matiang’i,” said Mr Gakuya.

“I’m not worried at all because Matiang’i will only split votes from the Kisii region. I’m totally confident that Mt Kenya votes will not split just because Uhuru Kenyatta has picked a different candidate.”

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