Jubilee Party Deputy leader Jeremiah Kioni appears to be changing his political strategy, increasingly taking his politics beyond party meetings and directly back to the people.
Kioni was in Shamata, Ndaragwa Constituency, where he joined Shamata MCA James Wambugu Wairegi as he laid to rest his elder father, John Gaitho Macharia.
The appearance is part of what increasingly looks like a deliberate effort by Kioni to reconnect with communities and grassroots leaders across the Mt Kenya region.
Kioni, whose recent years have largely been defined by high-level party politics and the battle over Jubilee’s direction, this renewed presence at local events across Mt Kenya signals a different approach, less boardroom and more ground engagement with the people. The strategy comes as Kioni positions himself for a bigger role in the region’s post-Uhuru political order.
Over the weekend, the Jubilee Deputy leader attended events in Nyandarua, Ndaragwa Constituency, where he joined Shamata MCA James Wambugu Wairegi as the MCA laid his elder father, John Gaitho Macharia, to rest, then later attended the ordination of Rev. Teresa Kigera of CFF at Mairo Inya, engaging with residents and members of the local community
With the question of who takes up the mantle of Mt Kenya political leadership after Uhuru Kenyatta increasingly dominating conversations in Mt Kenya, Kioni appears keen to build his case not only through party structures, but also by returning to the grassroots. The politics of the next phase may not be won in party offices, but on the ground. And Kioni appears ready to walk it.
