Kioni: Opposition confusion could hand Ruto another term

Jubilee Deputy Party leader Jeremiah Kioni has cautioned that Kenya’s opposition could lose the 2027 presidential race if it fails to settle on a clear direction, warning that continued hesitation and lack of unity may hand President William Ruto an easier path to re-election.

Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Tuesday, Kioni said past elections had shown that voters tend to support leaders who present a clear plan and firm ambition, arguing that clarity of purpose played a major role in the 2022 outcome.

“Ruto was clear… ‘I want to be president… I’m going to do everything and anything… to achieve that,’” he said, adding that “those who followed him were happy with the clarity of mind.”

The Deputy Party leader added that the opposition was repeating familiar mistakes and had drifted back into confusion similar to what it faced in the 2022 election cycle. According to Kioni, the biggest problem remains what he described as lack of direction and coordination among opposition figures.

Kioni said, “Kenyans hated uncertainty… they wanted clarity,” warning that failure to act decisively had weakened the opposition’s standing as the next election approaches.

https://twitter.com/RadioGenKe/status/2051551926253166964

He further pointed out that some political players had concentrated on building personal influence and separate parties rather than working towards a single political front capable of challenging the government.

The Jubilee leader observed that “the person who seemed to have a clarity of mind… wanted to build a very strong political party… and control government from parliament,” suggesting that such focus had given advantage to past successful campaigns.

He expressed concern that despite growing calls for political change, opposition leaders had not managed to convert public dissatisfaction into a united strategy.

“We could easily let this go… we could easily let Kenyans down,” he said arguing that “Kenyans were so clear that they wanted a change… but the leaders they were looking upon… were lacking that clarity.”

Kioni insisted that the opposition must urgently agree on a single presidential candidate, saying delays were damaging their chances of success.

“We need to know who is our presidential candidate as soon as possible. Today. Tomorrow,” he said, warning that continued delays will only weaken their chances.

“This issue that we must produce one candidate is what Kenyans want,” he added, pointing to past elections where unity among opposition groups had delivered victories.

He also urged opposition leaders, including former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who has been mentioned as a possible presidential hopeful, to take a stronger role in shaping a common strategy. Kioni said decisions must be timely and guided by what he termed as “scientific” political planning.

His remarks come at a time when political activity is rising ahead of the 2027 elections, with President Ruto maintaining confidence that he will secure another term. In recent rallies, Ruto has dismissed opposition formations as disorganised and lacking a clear agenda for governance.

During a rally in Nyamira on April 13, 2026, Ruto said his opponents lacked “the vision and track record needed to mount a serious contest,” insisting that voters would decide based on development performance.

He also told supporters that elections would not be decided by appearance or rhetoric, stating that voters would “look at track records and not at how good-looking one might be,” reinforcing his confidence in re-election.

Ruto has repeatedly challenged opposition leaders to unite, arguing that they have not presented a coherent alternative to his administration and are mainly focused on removing him from office without offering a clear plan.

Kioni warned that if the opposition continues on its current path, it risks repeating past failures.

“If we continue with this… ambiguity… we can easily hand over another five years,” he cautioned, urging leaders to move quickly, unite, and present voters with a clear alternative.