Kioni: This is what we want pro-Matiang’i political parties to do

Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni has announced that a coalition of political parties from the Kisii and Mt Kenya regions supporting former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i will hold weekly meetings.

The former Ndaragwa MP stated that 20 political parties have intensified consultations to consolidate support for Matiang’i ahead of his presidential campaign's launch.

In an interview with The Star, Kioni said there is significant goodwill for Matiang’i’s presidential bid, even before a formal declaration.

“The political climate is encouraging, and we have agreed to continue holding weekly consultations and broadening our engagements to strengthen support for Matiang’i,” Kioni said.

The Jubilee Party Secretary General also emphasised building a strong grassroots foundation before formally launching Matiang’i’s campaign.

“Each party must actively mobilise its support base and establish itself as a national entity while we work toward building this movement,” he added.

While Matiang’i has yet to officially announce his candidacy for the 2027 presidential race, there has been increasing pressure on him to run against President William Ruto.

His supporters argue that he has an outstanding record in public service when he served as CS under Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.

On Monday, Kioni led at least 20 political parties in unveiling a roadmap for collaboration to support Matiang’i’s 2027 bid.

During the meeting, the parties agreed to develop strategies for unifying and rallying behind Matiang’i as their joint candidate.

They resolved to begin extensive grassroots consultations with stakeholders immediately, ahead of the coalition’s official unveiling later this year.

Several of the involved parties have strong support bases in the Kisii and Mt Kenya regions, signalling a potential alliance between the two communities in the run-up to the 2027 elections.

Among those present were members of the Taifa Coalition, which consists of at least seven political parties from Kisii and Nyamira counties, and the Haki Coalition, representing Mount Kenya-based parties.

The Taifa Coalition includes founding partners such as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Kenya National Congress (KNC), and the Kenya Social Congress (KSC).

Meanwhile, the Haki Coalition, a caucus of Mount Kenya-based parties, is led by the Jubilee Party, alongside at least 13 other affiliated parties.

Notable politicians at the meeting included former South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya, leader of the KNC Party, and former assistant minister Omingo Magara, who is associated with the PDP Party.

Former Ford People Party leader Albert Nyaundi also attended the five-hour meeting in Nairobi.

A source who attended the meeting revealed that the Taifa Coalition requested three weeks to finalize consultations across the Gusii region.

“It was a meeting between the Haki and Taifa coalitions to agree on engagement modalities. A follow-up meeting will be held after Kisii region partners complete their consultations,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The meeting took place just days after Kioni concluded a two-day tour of Nyamira County, where he engaged with opinion leaders, including Jubilee Party members.

Jubilee has already announced its intention to field Matiang’i as its presidential candidate, with Kioni expressing confidence that he is the best contender to challenge President Ruto in 2027.