Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Tuesday gave the strongest indication yet that he is considering running for president on the Jubilee Party ticket, which is backed by retired president Uhuru Kenyatta.
This was after Dr Matiang’i held a consultative meeting with a section of Jubilee leaders ahead of the party’s Special National Delegates Conference scheduled for Friday, September 26, 2025.
The meeting held at Safari Park in Nairobi also gave credence to reports that Mr Kenyatta could be planning to hand over the leadership of the party to Dr Matiang’i in preparation for the 2027 presidential contest.
Present at the meeting included Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni, former Kiambu Governor James Nyoro, former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, former Gatanga MP Joseph Nduati, former Molo MP Njenga Mungai among other Jubilee leaders.
Former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i at a past event.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group
Jubilee has publicly fronted Dr Matiang’i as its possible candidate to challenge President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
Mr Kioni described the meeting as part of the party’s rejuvenation strategy ahead of the next poll. Jubilee seeks to exploit Dr Matiang’i’s candidacy to revive its old grassroots networks across the country.
“The meeting welcomed former legislators, county leaders, and opinion leaders to discuss strategies, share ideas, and strengthen the party’s vision, with Fred Matiangi also participating in the discussions,” said Mr Kioni.
“The discussions promise to shape the political landscape permanently at this pivotal moment in Kenya. As the government in waiting, looking towards 2027, we are confident that Kenyans will give us the opportunity to faithfully serve them,” he said.
Mr Wambugu, who recently ditched former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, told Daily Nation the meeting marked the first phase of the party’s strategy to bounce back to power through the ballot.
Although he did not confirm if Dr Matiang’i will formally join the party as an official on Friday, he said besides Mr Kenyatta, no other leader understands the vision of Jubilee more than the former powerful Cabinet Secretary.
“Remember Matiangi was the primary technical implementer of the Jubilee manifesto for 10 years. In fact, I doubt we have anyone today in the party outside Uhuru who understands more about what Jubilee stands for, and plans to do for Kenyans, than him,” Mr Wambugu said.
He added, “So now that the court cases that had threatened to disorganize us as a party are behind us, the party leadership is focused on planning for the next phase of service to the Kenyan people.”
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta shares a word with former interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiangi and other former Cabinet Secretaries when they condoled with Dr Barbara Odudu Magoha, widow of former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha on January 31, 2023, in Lavington, Nairobi County.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
Mr Kenyatta has convened the delegates conference for party members to, among other things, make radical leadership changes. The members are also expected to make a resolution on the plan to make Dr Matiang’i the party leader as well as its 2027 presidential candidate.
“Further to our notice of a Special National Delegates Convention dated 5th August 2025 and pursuant to Article 8.1 and 10.1 of the Jubilee Party constitution, a notice is hereby issued for a Special National Delegates Convention to be held at the Jockey Club, Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi, Kenya on 26th September 2025,” Mr Kenyatta said in a notice dated September 3, 2025.
In the notice, Mr Kenyatta said the delegates would ‘receive status report from the National Executive Committee.’ The NDC would further ‘review, formulate and approve’ the party’s constitution, organs, policies and programs.
The Daily Nation has also established that Jubilee Party may also consider exiting the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition, the opposition coalition that fronted veteran politician Raila Odinga in the 2022 presidential contest.
Narc-Kenya of Martha Karua that has since rebranded to People’s Liberation Party (PLP) and the Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) are some of the Azimio affiliate partner parties that have formally initiated their exit from the party.
Narc-Kenya through its National Delegates Convention in November 2024 resolved to exit the opposition coalition. Ms Karua was Mr Odinga’s running mate in the Azimio coalition in the 2022 presidential election.
Jubilee is said to be considering forming a new alliance with other like-minded opposition parties among them, the DAP-K, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Chama Cha Kazi of former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, Kanu of former Senator Gideon Moi, Party of National Unity of former Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya and other opposition outfits.
UPA was formed by Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo, with most of its elected members, majority being MCAs, drawn from the county. It has also been claiming Dr Matiang’i as its candidate.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, a close ally of Dr Matiang’i, revealed that there have been discussions on the proposal to make Dr Matiang’i Jubilee Party leader and the 2027 presidential candidate.
“It is a matter on the table. But we have agreed to do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis so that we way all the available options,” said Mr Onyonka in a recent interview.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
He admitted that there are those who want Dr Matiang’i to run on a homegrown party (UPA) while others are suggesting that he runs on Jubilee, which already has name recognition across the country.
“We will look at all the options, if we can have a marriage between Jubilee and UPA and work together, so be it. Some of the options on the table include forming a coalition. But if the Jubilee NDC decides to make Fred (Dr Matiang’i) the party leader, we will be okay with it so long as the candidate himself is in agreement,” explained Mr Onyonka.
In a previous interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Kioni said that Dr Matiang’i was already enjoying national backing, noting that it would be a political gamble for him to run on a regional political party with no national outlook.
"We are not in the business of looking for a candidate picked by a few leaders, but one who has been embraced by the people. In fact, we are saying that a scientific survey be used on settling on a candidate so that we avoid picking someone on the basis of voting strength of his or her community,” said the Secretary General.
“We want him (Dr Matiang’i) to belong to the country, and that is why we want him to run on Jubilee which has a national outlook,” said Mr Kioni.
In a July interview with Citizen TV, Dr Matiang’i said he was yet to decide about which party to run on while disclosing that a number of parties, including Jubilee, had sought him to run on their ticket.
“I am in consultations with a number of political parties and a number of political leaders across the board. I honestly think that if I made a choice now and stuck to one political party, I would disadvantage the others with whom we are having a discussion,” he said.
The decision by the Jubilee NDC on whether to back Dr Matiang’i or not is expected to have major political bearing, especially in the united opposition.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua leaves JKIA after this arrival on August 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
In May, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua stirred a controversy in the nascent opposition outfit by asking Dr Matiang’I to reject Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party as his election vehicle for the 2027.
“I am happy with Dr Fred Matiang’i. You, the Gusii people have told him to go out and court other communities. He is indeed up to the task. I saw how he used to work when he served in President Uhuru Kenyatta's government. However, for him and the Gusii Community to be respected, you need your own political vehicle. A political party which has to be deeply rooted in Gusii,” Mr Gachagua said during an interview on Egesa FM.
He went on, “If Dr Matiang’i is your leader, governor, senator, MPs, women representative and MCAs have to be his people. That is where the President got me off guard. I was only the Deputy President, while the Head of State had everyone else on his side. He made me suffer. You have to align yourself strategically.”
