Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has threatened to sever ties with the expanding Mt Kenya unity caucus if Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua insists on dissolving parties to form a single regional vehicle.

The ultimatum exposes the fragility of the newfound unity in the Mountain region. While leaders agree on the need for a united front to bargain with President Ruto, they disagree sharply on the method. Kioni views the "one-party" push as a trap to kill multi-party democracy and install Gachagua as the region’s dictator.

The fear of Homogeneity

Kioni argues that the richness of Mt Kenya politics lies in its diversity. Forcing everyone into one basket, he says, makes the region vulnerable to manipulation.

• Gachagua’s Strategy: The DP wants a consolidated bloc to guarantee his bargaining power in 2027, similar to the URP/TNA model of 2013.
• Kioni’s Resistance: Representing the Jubilee faction, Kioni insists that parties should retain their identity while cooperating on issues.
• The Consequence: "If the condition is killing Jubilee," Kioni declared, "then I will walk away. We fought for pluralism, not a monolith."

A House Divided

The rift threatens to derail Gachagua’s efforts to consolidate the region before the next election cycle. Without Kioni and the Uhuru-aligned faction, the "Mountain" remains a fractured fortress.