Jubilee leaders in Bomet town/SCREEGRAB
Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i was on Friday forced to cut short his address in Bomet Town after residents backing President William Ruto disrupted his campaign tour of the South Rift.
Matiang’i had arrived in Bomet as part of a political tour that was expected to take him to Narok, but his team’s engagement with residents was met with chants in support of Ruto’s bid for a second term.
The crowd repeatedly shouted pro-Ruto slogans, disrupting the Jubilee team’s attempts to address residents and creating a tense atmosphere in the town.
"Two term, two term," the groups chanted.
The former Interior Cabinet Secretary was subsequently forced to abandon his planned engagement with residents and leave the area.
His team also cancelled a planned stop in Mulot as the hostile reception threatened to derail the tour.
The incident comes as political parties and potential presidential contenders intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Matiang’i, who served as Interior Cabinet Secretary during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, has emerged as one of the political figures positioning himself for a bigger role in the 2027 contest.
His tour of the South Rift is viewed as part of efforts to expand his political support beyond his traditional base as he seeks to build a national profile.
However, Friday’s incident in Bomet highlighted the political challenge facing opposition and rival political formations seeking to make inroads in parts of the Rift Valley, where Ruto continues to enjoy significant political support.
The crowd’s chants in favour of the President also turned the planned campaign stop into a show of competing political loyalties.
Matiang’i and his team later proceeded with their tour of Narok.
The former CS’s political activities have intensified as the 2027 elections draw closer, with Jubilee seeking to rebuild its grassroots presence and position itself in the emerging political realignments.
The Bomet incident also adds to the growing signs of early political contestation in the South Rift, a region that is expected to play a crucial role in the 2027 presidential race.
The disruption was not accompanied by reports of violence, but the hostile reception forced the Jubilee team to bring its Bomet engagement to an early end.
