Kioni Ignites War Against Sabina Chege, Orders Jubilee To Eject Her From Parliament

Embattled Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni has revealed that he has begun the process of cutting ties with Sabina Chege by stripping her of her position as the Deputy Minority Whip of the National Assembly (NA).

Speaking during an Azimio rally in Busia on Sunday, February 12, Kioni lashed out at Chege over betraying the party, adding that he has ordered Members of Parliament (MP) elected under the Azimio la Umoja coalition to begin de-whipping her when the NA proceedings resume on Tuesday, February 14.

He further ordered nominated Senator Fatuma Dullo to resign from her seat on the basis of her newfound affiliations with the ruling Kenya Kwanza government, affirming that her seat belongs to the Azimio coalition, therefore she does not deserve it.

"We have got rid of the seat that we had given Sabina Chege of the Whip of the Minority and we are calling on Azimio MPs to ensure that she no longer holds the position from Tuesday because she has already joined Kenya Kwanza.

"Even her Senate counterpart Fatuma Dullo, who joined Kenya Kwanza should relinquish her seat because it belongs to Azimio," he declared.

Sabina Chege was nominated to the National Assembly after shelving her gubernatorial ambitions before the 2022 General Election and was among the Jubilee leaders who had joined President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza faction for a thanksgiving service in Nakuru County on Sunday.

During the meeting, the Leader of the Majority in the NA Kimani Ichung'wah assured her that she would not lose her seat for dumping Azimio, under party leader Raila Odinga, to work with the current government.

Kioni's move to order MPs to de-whip her could spark an all-out war between the two, coming just two days after she publicly blasted him for running the party like an informal business.

"Let Kioni know Jubilee party is not his own kiosk. He has never called us for any PG. He has never given us direction, so when he wakes up from his bed he cannot expect that we will follow him.

"Even when he went to represent us at the Azimio PG, he never invited us nor told us the agenda," stated Chege on Friday, February 9.

The lawmaker further defended her move to join forces with President Ruto's Kenya Kwanza government in the company of other Jubilee Party members, giving an example of former President Uhuru Kenyatta who she said decided to partner with Azimio leader, Raila Odinga, for the tranquillity of the country. 

"This country is bigger than any individual. I would like to say that we are following in the footsteps of our party leader Uhuru Kenyatta. After the elections in 2017, in 2018 he is the first person who went to look for Raila Odinga and look for a handshake.

"Because he told us that this nation is bigger than any one of us. And he was avoiding what we are seeing now of people in the streets and maandamano (public rallies). So we are following in his footsteps," she said.

It was only a few weeks ago whereby Chege rooted for Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua as the sole Mt Kenya kingpin while supporting his leadership and respecting the will of the people during the August 9, 2022 elections.

She further decried that she would not take part in the Azimio anti-government rallies, despite being one of the few Mt Kenya leaders who heavily campaigned for Raila ahead of the August polls.

Kioni was suspended as the Jubilee Party SG due to negligence and misconduct, with East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member of Parliament (MP) Kanini Kega taking his place. The party's National Executive Council (NEC) also expressed its plans to exit the Azimio coalition.

However, he countered the ouster by initiating disciplinary action against Kega, Chege, Dullo and Adan Keynan.