Jubilee Deputy Party leader Jeremiah Kioni has explained why opposition parties now appear less united compared to a few months ago, saying the current phase is meant to strengthen individual parties before any broader alliance is formed.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview, Kioni said unity in the opposition depends on how strong each party is on its own. He noted that parties are first focusing on building their structures and leadership before moving to joint political arrangements.
“It is like I kept saying, we have to go through a phase of strengthening our own parties,” he said.
The Deputy Party Leader explained that the opposition cannot be strong if the parties that make it up are weak. He said every party must first grow and organise itself so that any coalition formed later is solid and effective.
“The opposition will be as strong as each individual party is,” he said.
He also pointed out that many opposition leaders have had ambitions to run for president, which has influenced how they position themselves.
According to him, while several leaders had shown interest in the presidency, some have gradually faded from public view as Kenyans shift their support.
“Everybody was a presidential candidate. I’m not saying anybody has dropped, but Kenyans themselves have continuous dropping people by themselves,” he said.
Kioni mentioned that some leaders are still organising their political plans. He referred to Rigathi Gachagua and suggested that he could be preparing his own political path, which may explain his reduced public presence in opposition politics.
“I’m sure he’s organising himself,” he said.
He added that even within the opposition, many leaders still have personal ambitions that they have not openly spoken about. However, Kioni made it clear that his party’s focus is on supporting key opposition figures.
“Even us we have hopes and ambition that we have not spoke of. But this seat is for Kalonzo or my presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i,” he said.
Kioni’s remarks come as opposition parties continue to shape their political strategies ahead of future elections, with leaders weighing personal ambitions against the need for unity.
