Jubilee secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni has shaken up the Mt Kenya debate, telling his own backyard that chest-thumping about voter numbers will only alienate the rest of Kenya.
Speaking on Saturday, Kioni took indirect aim at former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua’s tour of central counties, where Gachagua has been urging locals to leverage their “ten million votes” to unseat President William Ruto in 2027.
Kioni argued that treating the mountain as a political battering ram risks breeding resentment in other regions.
“The entitlement of my kinsmen will be this country’s undoing. It cannot always be your way or the highway. Whether we know it or not, this narrative is breeding resentment, stifling unity, and choking our national fabric. We must break free from ethnic politics before it breaks us,” he posted on X.
The entitlement of my kinsmen will be this country’s undoing. It cannot always be your way or the highway. Whether we know it or not this narrative is breeding resentment, stifling unity, and choking our national fabric. We must break free from ethnic politics before it breaks…
— Hon. Jeremiah Kioni (@HonKioni) June 22, 2025
The Jubilee boss, whose party has endorsed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i for the next presidential race, urged leaders to build coalitions that cut across county lines rather than banking on ethnic majorities.
Meanwhile, Gachagua’s newly launched Democracy for the Citizens Party insists Mt Kenya’s bloc is strong enough to dictate national outcomes if it speaks with one voice. The former Deputy President has vowed to continue his tours, with a visit to the Rift Valley expected soon.
