By Erestinah Jane, June 29, 2026
Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Jeremiah Kioni has strongly defended former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, saying he has played a critical role in rebuilding and strengthening Kenya’s opposition since his impeachment from office.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Maisha’s Maisha Asubuhi programme, Kioni dismissed claims that Gachagua had become politically irrelevant following his removal from government, arguing instead that the former Deputy President has successfully reinvented himself as one of the country’s most influential opposition figures.
Kioni said Gachagua has remained visible across the country through public engagements, consultative meetings and grassroots mobilization efforts aimed at consolidating support against President William Ruto’s administration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
According to the Jubilee deputy leader, Gachagua has effectively taken over and reorganized the same political networks that powered the Kenya Kwanza coalition to victory in the 2022 General Election.
He said grassroots structures built around the Hustler movement, the Tanga Tanga political wing and the Bottom-Up economic campaign have gradually shifted their allegiance following the fallout between President Ruto and his former deputy.
Kioni argued that Gachagua has successfully repurposed these networks to build a formidable opposition movement, enabling him to maintain influence across the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region while extending his political reach into other parts of the country.
He further observed that the former Deputy President has managed to reverse the political narrative that dominated the 2022 election by portraying the Kenya Kwanza administration as having drifted away from the ordinary wananchi it once promised to empower.
According to Kioni, this messaging has resonated with many Kenyans frustrated by the high cost of living and economic challenges, strengthening the opposition’s campaign against the government.
The Jubilee deputy leader also pointed to the growing unity among opposition figures who previously belonged to rival political camps.
He noted that despite the bitter exchanges witnessed during the 2022 election campaigns, leaders such as Gachagua, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and members of the Jubilee Party are now working together under a common political agenda.
Kioni said the opposition has deliberately chosen to put aside past political differences in order to build a broad coalition capable of challenging President Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027.
He added that his own relationship with Gachagua has improved significantly despite previous disagreements, describing their current cooperation as evidence of the opposition’s commitment to unity.
Kioni also acknowledged the growing influence of Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), saying the party has rapidly gained traction, particularly in the Mt. Kenya region, where it has emerged as a significant political force.
He said the DCP has injected new energy into opposition politics by attracting leaders and supporters from various political formations while coordinating joint campaigns against the Kenya Kwanza administration.
While the party’s growth presents competition for established parties such as Jubilee, Kioni maintained that the opposition’s primary objective remains the formation of a united front capable of securing victory in the next General Election.
He stressed that individual party interests should take a back seat to the broader goal of offering Kenyans an alternative government.
Political observers view Kioni’s remarks as a significant shift from his earlier criticism of Gachagua’s regional political strategy, particularly his push to consolidate Mt. Kenya under a single political outfit.
His latest endorsement signals the growing consensus within the opposition that Gachagua remains a central figure in efforts to weaken President Ruto’s influence in the region that overwhelmingly backed Kenya Kwanza in 2022.
The comments also underscore ongoing efforts by opposition leaders to craft a united political narrative ahead of the 2027 elections, with Gachagua increasingly being positioned as a key mobilizer and regional kingmaker whose influence could prove decisive in determining the outcome of the presidential contest.
As political realignments continue to gather pace, the opposition appears keen to capitalize on Gachagua’s grassroots appeal and organizational structures in its bid to erode Kenya Kwanza’s support base and mount a formidable challenge in the next General Election.
