Jubilee Party Secretary-General (SG) Jeremiah Kioni recalled the time when former president Uhuru Kenyatta's life changed immediately after he was announced as president-elect at Bomas of Kenya in 2013.
Speaking to Spice FM on Tuesday, January 18, Kioni revealed intricate details of the tense moment after Uhuru had traveled to Bomas of Kenya, in a motorcade, for the announcement of the presidential results.
The Jubilee SG noted that Uhuru's driver, identified as Karanja, found himself in a state of confusion once Uhuru was declared president-elect.
According to Kioni, no one had informed Karanja of the security changes that follows the announcement of the President-elect and the confusion that ensued saw him being whisked away by the Presidential Security Escort Unit.
"When Uhuru was declared president-elect, he had traveled to Bomas, with his motorcade and driver. When he became President, his own driver called Karanja found himself ten cars away from the person he ferried to Bomas.
"Also, he was not told that he was not going to ferry back the person he carried to Bomas, and so he was whisked away by the security team," the former Ndaragwa Member of Parliament stated.
In addition, Kioni also recalled the time when the late Mwai Kibaki took over the presidency in 2002 - pointing out a similar pattern in the transitions.
He noted that Kibaki was in his residence in Muthaiga, Nairobi County during the announcement, and his closest allies and associates were blocked from accessing his home - owing to the change in guard and security protocol.
"When it was Kibaki at the time when he had the accident, he was in Muthaiga. When he was announced president-elect in Muthaiga, some of us rushed to go say congratulations, and among us was his closest friend, Kijana Wamalwa.
"When we got there, things had changed. We go to the gate and we were informed that we could not see the president-elect, he needed to clear us. The gate was locked. It was surprising since hours earlier, we were in his residence," Kioni recalled.
While referencing the two scenarios, the politician claimed that incumbent President William Ruto was yet to fully acclimatize into the Presidency.
While defending his remarks, the Jubilee SG pointed out Ruto's statement on Chebukati's alleged murder plot, he noted that the President ought to have released such sensitive information to the responsible agencies and not announce it in a public forum.
"When you move from being the source of hope for us and become an object of fear, it is like you are losing the country," he stated.
