How Kioni is taking advantage of DP Rigathi Gachagua's political blunders

Mr Kioni seizes the opportunity that Gachagua provides to sound comparatively measured and sober. The Kioni reaction offers alternatives to Mr Gachagua's claim and has the effect of deflating the DP's political ego.

To Mr Kioni, Mr Gachagua's blunders are an opportunity for political rebooting. Having abandoned his denial attitude and initial tendency to find excuses for his and the Azimio/Jubilee losses in August 2022, Mr Kioni increasingly seems to focus on tearing the DP's political garment.

From UDF's inception as 'movement', Kioni was key to its transformation into a political party, UDFP. Several politicians had joined the 'movement' in the belief that it was Uhuru's vehicle but when Uhuru disowned it, they quickly quit.

Mr Kioni remained put and ran in 2013 as Musalia Mudavadi's potential deputy. He bounced back to Parliament under the Jubilee umbrella and ended up snatching the Jubilee Secretary General's post from Raphael Tuju.

He became such a 'true believer' that he failed to notice Jubilee's declining political fortunes, but Mr Gachagua and Mr Mudavadi did and joined the winning Ruto side. With the 2022 UDA tide in the Mountain sweeping Mr Kioni out of Parliament, one of his options is to help Mr Gachagua continue political blundering.

Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

His claim that he told the Agikuyu to vote for Sakaja implied that he owns/controls the people, itself an insult. Subsequently, his exaggerated self-importance misplaced him, attracted national wrath, and enabled other politicians to ridicule the Mountain through his political over-reach.

During Dr Ruto's Nanyuki conclave, for instance, Mudavadi reminded Gachagua that Dr Ruto is the only president.

Other leadership aspirants, wearing plastic smiles keenly and silently watch and cheer as Gachagua and Kioni 'cancel' each other. Some would enjoy clipping Gachagua's wings, kwani iko nini?