Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni has admitted he was disappointed after Fred Matiang’i was picked to take over the party leadership, saying he had hoped his own bid for the position would succeed.
Kioni said he had formally expressed interest in leading Jubilee and was therefore unhappy when the position went to Matiang’i, although he maintained that the decision had not changed his commitment to the party or his support for its presidential candidate.
“The fact that it did not come to me, I was disappointed, of course, because in politics, when you aspire for something, you don't get it you're disappointed,” Kioni said.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Thursday, Kioni said he had not initially understood that a Jubilee National Executive Council meeting would be used to address the party leadership.
He said he had instead expected the meeting to deal with the dispute surrounding the position of Secretary General, which he considered a more urgent matter for the party to resolve.
Kioni expressed concern that the disagreement had been allowed to continue through the courts, arguing that political parties should seek ways of settling their disputes without becoming tied up in lengthy legal battles.
“In politics, the best thing is to kill cases. Don't allow yourself to be in court as a party,” he said.
The former Ndaragwa MP also questioned why his decision to seek the Jubilee leadership had attracted opposition, saying party members should be free to pursue positions they believe they are qualified to hold.
He compared his bid for the party leadership with his intention to seek an elective position, saying neither ambition was wrong.
“What is criminal about wanting to be a member of Parliament for Ndaragwa?” he asked. “If there is nothing criminal with me wanting to be a member of Parliament for Ndaragwa, there is nothing criminal with any person wanting to be a party leader of any party, even on Jubilee.”
Kioni said Matiang’i now had the responsibility of managing the political image of Jubilee, particularly concerns that the party's leadership changes could create the impression that it had shifted towards the Kisii community.
He said how the changes were viewed by the public would matter as much as the decisions themselves.
“Politics has a lot to do with optics, and it is the management of optics that is more important than anything else,” he said.
Despite his disappointment, Kioni said his political differences over the leadership position would not stop him from supporting Matiang’i in the 2027 presidential race.
He described Matiang’i as a strong candidate and said he remained firmly behind his presidential bid.
“We have a good presidential candidate who has my full support even this morning, in the name of Fred Okengo Matiang’i.”
Kioni, however, said Jubilee must be careful about who it places in key party positions as it prepares for the next General Election.
He argued that officials holding senior positions within the party should be able to give their full attention to organising the party and helping other candidates win elections.
His concern was particularly directed at officials who may simultaneously hold positions such as Secretary General or Executive Director while preparing to contest elective seats.
“These are not offices that are going to be led by people who are also aspiring to become elected into any offices,” Kioni said, referring to the positions of Secretary General and Executive Director.
“You are 24 hours working to get others elected, not yourself. If you have yourself or intend to have yourself on the ballot, something will suffer. Either your candidature or the entire institution.”
Kioni said his own ambition to lead Jubilee had not been abandoned, maintaining that he still believed the party had important work to do in rebuilding its political base and reclaiming space ahead of the 2027 elections.
His comments came days after former President Uhuru Kenyatta handed over Jubilee's leadership to Matiang’i during a meeting with party officials in Nairobi on September 22 as the party prepared for its National Delegates Convention.
“While we wait for NDC, I have decided to let my deputy take over the party leadership. I want to ask you respectfully to accept Fred Matiang’i to take the position of Jubilee party leader,” Uhuru said.
Kenyatta said he would remain a member of Jubilee and take up the role of senior adviser to the party.