Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of trying to pressure former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i during opposition coalition talks.

Speaking on Monday, Kioni alleged that Gachagua has been urging Matiang’i to ditch Jubilee and instead engage in talks with a smaller political outfit. He further claimed that Gachagua went as far as dictating which party Matiang’i should bring to the negotiations.

“Put Jubilee here, put your UDA here. And then the biggest thing, and this is not a secret, they have sat in rooms and told Matiang’i, ‘Don’t join Jubilee,’” Kioni said.

He recalled an incident where Gachagua allegedly instructed Matiang’i to travel to Kisii and secure a small village party for the talks.

Kioni questioned Gachagua’s authority in giving such directives, noting, “You tell him it out openly, in fact, on one time, you can remember Gachagua telling Matiangi, go to Kisii and come with a village party we negotiate.”

Kioni further stressed that only the rightful officials of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) should speak on its behalf, pointing out that Matiang’i does not appear anywhere as an official of the party.

“By the way, Gachagua is not even an official of DCP. The proper officials of DCP need to speak on behalf of that party, because he is not on any record as an official of DCP.”

He questioned why Gachagua was dictating terms, asking, “And then the question is, if you really want me to come over to your table. Why are you dictating the party I should come to? Who told Gachagua to open DCP so that he could come with it? It was his choice.”

The Jubilee Secretary General defended Matiang’i, insisting he is not someone who can be easily intimidated. “So when you get to that level, do you think Matiang’i is a person to bully by any chance? He was not bullied when he was in government, and we would not want him bullied,” Kioni said.

He dismissed Gachagua’s approach as counterproductive, adding, “That attitude is not helping at all.”

Kioni also underlined Jubilee’s efforts to solidify its role in the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections, affirming the party’s loyalty to Azimio. “ODM has done the thing of betrayal. So, it is only Jubilee that is still in Azimio, faithful to that agreement,” he noted.

Kioni confirmed that Jubilee plans to appoint former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the head of the party’s Central Management Committee, describing the position as advisory and designed to tap into Uhuru’s wealth of experience.

He also announced that the party is considering Matiang’i for a leadership role to help guide Jubilee’s campaign agenda.