Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni has challenged Kenya’s opposition to shift its focus from street protests to building a formidable political party capable of forming the next government, saying demonstrations alone will not be enough to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Tuesday, Kioni said while public dissatisfaction with the Kenya Kwanza administration had created momentum for the opposition, the coalition must now transform that support into a well-organised political movement that can offer Kenyans a credible alternative.
“We had the United Opposition, which was even termed as the alternative government. But you must first of all organise yourself so that you then are able to become an alternative government,” Kioni said.
He argued that political power can only be won through organised political parties, noting that President Ruto successfully built his 2022 presidential bid around the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) before bringing together like-minded political parties under the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
“You can only organise through political parties to take over power,” he said.
“William organised his movement through a political party called UDA and then invited others to join. The organising party was UDA.”
Kioni said the opposition should first establish a strong political party before identifying its presidential candidate, arguing that the coalition’s flag bearer must emerge from a structured political movement capable of governing the country.
He further urged opposition leaders to move beyond campaigns aimed solely at removing President Ruto from office and instead present practical solutions to the country’s economic and social challenges.
“It is also important that we now start telling Kenyans not only that we want to remove William Ruto from office, but also whether the man or woman we want can improve education, healthcare, security and jobs,” he said.
According to Kioni, the next administration should prioritise addressing unemployment, insecurity, mental health, drug addiction and the weakening of family institutions.
“We have a serious problem… mental health issues, dysfunctioning family units, rehabilitation, unemployment. These are some of the issues we must look at when choosing the person capable of leading this country,” he said.
The Jubilee deputy party leader also cautioned against allowing a handful of political leaders to decide the opposition’s presidential candidate through closed-door negotiations, insisting that the process should be transparent and involve ordinary Kenyans.
“Take this thing to the people, don’t try and do it in the boardroom,” he said.
“If you touch the wrong person, 10 million voters would go home.”
His remarks come amid growing debate within the opposition over how it will identify its presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has previously maintained that the opposition coalition has not settled on a flag bearer, saying the candidate will only be unveiled a few months before the election to deny President Ruto an early political advantage.
Kioni, however, maintained that building consensus among coalition partners and involving supporters in the selection process will be critical to avoiding divisions that have previously weakened opposition alliances and undermined their chances of winning power.