Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has dismissed claims that former President Uhuru Kenyatta intervened to influence political decisions in support of President William Ruto.
The remarks came in response to suggestions that Uhuru and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had advised him to “relax” and allow the current government to continue unchallenged for the country’s benefit.
“I don’t know what you have to say about those sentiments. I will not talk about others, but I’ll talk about Uhuru. Yes, and I can assure you that that’s a lie,” Kioni told Radio Generation on Tuesday.
He argued that the narrative, often circulated by some opposition figures, wrongly portrays Uhuru as sympathetic to mismanagement in the country.
Kioni clarified that personal differences between leaders should not be confused with tacit approval of government actions.
“There is a difference between my personal differences and my saying that… the country is being mismanaged. And I don’t believe that he has ever had an opportunity to speak to the same and not told that to the face of those managing it,” he said, adding that claims of Uhuru encouraging continued mismanagement are false.
He cited a recent event involving regional issues in Congo to underline his point.
According to Kioni, the venue for the meeting was chosen by President Ruto, not Uhuru, who played no role in its selection. “If he was the one picking the venue, you certainly not have picked State house. But the person who was hosting is William Ruto, and he’s the one who picked the venue. He’s the one given that mandate globally to deal with the PCUs in Congo,” Kioni said.
The context for these allegations stems from statements by Raila in August 2024, when he claimed that Uhuru had encouraged him to assist President Ruto during the climax of Gen Z protests.
Speaking at a funeral service in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Raila said he acted “to save Kenya” after Uhuru reportedly called him: “look for Ruto and talk to him… let’s put out this fire. He said that if Kenya burns, we won’t have another country.”
Kioni emphasized that while such claims circulate, the reality is different.
He noted that Raila himself openly criticised the Ruto administration for failing to meet the expectations of Kenyans, particularly noting youth protests demanding better governance.
“I told William that the team he had appointed to the Cabinet were not delivering to the expectations of Kenyans and that is why the Gen Zs were on the streets demanding better governance. These youths are not mad. They have genuine demands that needs to be resolved,” Raila said, according to Kioni.
Kioni’s response seeks to set the record straight and differentiate between personal differences, political narratives, and actual involvement in governance decisions.
