Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni has dismissed speculation that former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i attended the party’s recent National Delegates Conference (NDC) to be endorsed as a presidential candidate.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, during a local radio interview, Kioni clarified that the NDC was primarily convened to prepare the party for the upcoming elections and amend its constitution.
“Hatukuwa tunamzindua Matiang’i bali tulikuwa tunahakikisha wale wanaotaka kusimama na chama chetu wanapata kikiwa tayari. My friend Matiang’i is a member of the Jubilee Party na yeye yuko pale kama mwanachama,” Kioni explained.
His remarks came amid growing debate over Matiang’i’s 2027 presidential bid. While the former CS has already declared his ambition to run for Kenya’s top seat, the United Opposition is yet to settle on a flagbearer to challenge President William Ruto.
Kioni further defended Matiang’i’s participation in the NDC, noting that anyone who publicly expresses interest in the presidency deserves to engage with party structures. He emphasized that the focus of the conference was institutional strengthening rather than individual endorsements.
The Jubilee SG also reignited his criticism of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of sidelining and attempting to intimidate Matiang’i in past political engagements. According to Kioni, Gachagua once told Matiang’i to return to Kisii and form a “village party” before negotiating his place within the opposition.
Meanwhile, Matiang’i has intensified his political groundwork ahead of the 2027 elections. In August, he launched his campaigns in the Mt. Kenya region, declaring that he will not be swayed, bought, or pressured into abandoning his presidential bid.
“I cannot be bought, bullied, or backed out of the 2027 presidential race because I am not anyone’s project. After all, this is my personal decision to come out and help in fixing this nation,” Matiang’i affirmed.
The unfolding dynamics place Jubilee and Matiang’i at the center of Kenya’s shifting political landscape, with eyes now on how opposition alliances will shape up ahead of the next polls.
