Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has denied claims by opposition leader Raila Odinga that former President Uhuru Kenyatta was involved in shaping President William Ruto’s broad-based government.
Kioni vehemently denied Odinga’s claims at a press conference on Wednesday.
He accused the opposition leader of attempting to tarnish Kenyatta’s reputation following his ill-advised decision to collaborate with Ruto.
Odinga claimed earlier this week that Kenyatta had urged him to work with Ruto to address the national crisis, which has been exacerbated by Generation Z protests.
According to Odinga, the country was on the verge of collapse due to the unrest, and Kenyatta had allegedly pressed him to facilitate dialogue with Ruto for stability restoration.
Kioni, on the other hand, called these claims false and misleading.
He referred to a letter Kenyatta wrote on July 25, in which he expressed his sadness over the deaths during the protests and urged elected officials to listen to the people’s voices.
Kioni claimed that Kenyatta has always been critical of Ruto’s administration and its policies, which he described as harmful to Kenyans.
“Kenyatta’s stance is clear: he opposes joining a government responsible for causing widespread hardship and corruption,” Kioni stated.
“The notion that Kenyatta would endorse a partnership with Ruto’s administration is fundamentally flawed.”
The Jubilee Secretary General also chastised Odinga for allegedly dragging Kenyatta’s name into the controversy to divert attention away from his own controversial decision to work with the Kenya Kwanza regime.
Kioni argued that Odinga’s decision to form a broad-based government was a mistake, motivated by the declining popularity of his own position among Kenyans.
“Dragging other people’s names through the mud does not absolve you of your own poor decisions,” Kioni said.
“When you make a mistake, it’s important to own up to it rather than shifting the blame.”
Kioni also addressed the broader political context, claiming that Odinga had a history of misleading the public for personal gain.
He cited the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, accusing Odinga of failing to keep the Azimio team fully informed while meeting with the government behind closed doors.
“The NADCO issue is a prime example of how Odinga operates—engaging with government figures like Obasanjo without full transparency to his team,” Kioni noted.
The Jubilee Party Secretary General refuted the claim that Kenyatta urged Odinga to negotiate with Ruto for the sake of national unity.
Kioni believes Kenyatta’s current political stance contradicts Odinga’s narrative.
“Odinga’s claims about Kenyatta’s supposed encouragement to engage with Ruto are simply not true,” Kioni stated.
“If you look at Kenyatta’s recent actions and statements, it’s clear he does not support this government.”
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