The newly nominated Jubilee Deputy Party Leader, Jeremiah Kioni, has announced that the party will embark on nationwide tours to popularise Fred Matiang’i’s presidential bid ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the former MP said Jubilee has activated its mobilisation strategy to ensure Matiang’i “hits the ground running” as the party intensifies preparations for the upcoming elections.
Kioni revealed that beyond the planned countrywide tours, Matiang’i is also holding high-level boardroom meetings with groups drawn from different regions, political formations, and community leadership structures, with some engagements stretching late into the night.
He described the former Interior Cabinet Secretary as a leader who avoids political theatrics, stating that Matiang’i prefers quiet, strategic engagement rather than media optics and public spectacle.
“We want to kick out a counter-crude campaign. Apart from this, Fred Matiang’i is always permanently in meetings. He engages people in many meetings with elders, community leaders and many more, with some going past midnight. he is not a camera or media person,” Kioni said
Kioni further noted that as Jubilee continues to engage the public and popularise Matiang’i’s bid, the party remains open to structured talks with other parties within the united opposition, including the Rigathi Gachagua-led Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
He added that should the united opposition agree on a different flagbearer, Jubilee would be willing to shelve its candidate and support the chosen leader in the spirit of opposition unity and solidarity.
This development comes days after Matiang’i was formally named Jubilee’s flagbearer following a resolution of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, with his name subsequently forwarded to united opposition convener Martha Karua as Jubilee’s official representative.
Since then, Matiang’i has intensified engagements with groups from across the country, including recent meetings with grassroots leaders from Kwale County.
In December 2025, he also held a consultative forum with leaders from Narok County, led by the newly appointed Jubilee Secretary General, Montailel Ole Kenta, who previously contested unsuccessfully for the Narok gubernatorial seat.
Earlier, Matiang’i also met leaders from the Kuria community at his home in Nyamira County. Among those present was Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who has since returned to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) following the escalation of her rift with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and later announced her support for President William Ruto’s re-election.
The developments come amid a major leadership overhaul within Jubilee, which saw Jeremiah Kioni demoted from Secretary General to Deputy Party Leader, with Montailel Ole Kenta taking over the Secretary General position.
