A political storm has erupted following explosive claims by Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is covertly collaborating with President William Ruto, despite their public fallout.
In a bombshell interview on Hot 96 on Sunday evening, Kioni alleged that Gachagua held a confidential meeting with leaders in Narok County, where he detailed a strategic political arrangement with President Ruto aimed at consolidating power ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Sharing the Cake”: The Alleged Narok Meeting
The heart of the allegation revolves around the denial of a party ticket to Joshua Ole Kaputa, an aspirant for the Narok Town Ward seat. According to Kioni, Gachagua met with 15 individuals, including members of the clergy, to explain why Kaputa was being sidelined by the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).
Kioni provided a direct, and potentially damaging, quote he attributed to Gachagua: “By that time I will have the 7 million votes from the mountain region, 1 million from Kalonzo and 800,000 from Matiang’i. I will now have more than half of the cake and I will share some of it with the Maasai community. So Joshua you should wait, we will nominate you.”
This statement suggests a calculated plan to amass a voting bloc from the Mt. Kenya region, coupled with support from leaders like Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang’i, to secure a dominant position from which to distribute political favors.
A “Behind Closed Curtains” Arrangement
Kioni further claimed that Gachagua informed the attendees that President Ruto had already sent emissaries to him, and an arrangement was in place for them to “put their houses in order and then meet to have a discussion.”
While Kioni refused to disclose the exact date of the meeting on air, he tantalizingly promised, “He said it himself. I will give you the date and hour the minute I leave this place (studio).”
Jubilee Draws a Line in the Sand
In response to these alleged backroom dealings, the Jubilee Party has taken a firm stance. Kioni maintained that his party is only willing to work with “like-minded parties that actually believe in sending William Ruto home,” and will not onboard anyone involved in what he termed “sinister political deals.”
He explicitly rejected the “get your people and I get mine” model of politics, positioning Jubilee as a principled opposition force.
Call to Action: Mass Voter Registration
Linking the revelations to a broader political strategy, Kioni used the platform to urge young Kenyans to register as voters. He emphasized that criticism alone is ineffective without the power of the ballot.
“You must register and register in numbers. It makes no sense to be an active critic of the government and you fail to vote them out. Failure to that amounts to voting them in,” he stated.
His call to action coincides with the commencement of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) continuous voter registration, which aims to add 6.3 million new voters to the register, expanding it from 22.1 million to 28 million.
The allegations, if proven, could significantly reshape the Kenyan political landscape, revealing potential fissures and alliances that contradict public narratives and setting the stage for a highly contentious battle for 2027.
