Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i has defended retired President Uhuru Kenyatta over renewed attacks by ODM and UDA leaders and told them to concentrate on their raging political challenges.
Dr. Matiang’i, who was recently handpicked by Uhuru to succeed him as Jubilee leader described allegations that Uhuru was funding division in ODM as far-fetched and alleged ODM was responsible for the current instability facing the party.
Since the death of Raila Odinga in India, ODM has been simmering over leadership wrangles occasioned by its dalliance with UDA under the broad-based government initiative.
Matiang’i, the fourth president hachete man during his second term between 2017-2022 has been viewed as Uhuru’s blue-eyed boy.
Uhuru is however, gravititating towards Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the solid alternastive to face his former deputy and political nemesis president William Ruto.
Analysts however view the Uhuru political antics as a ploy by the government to divide the opposition and offer president Ruto the presidency on a silver platter.
The two presidents are said to engage privately on political and economic matters facing Kenya and those that they have interest in.
Uhuru and Ruto families have over the decades invested in the hotels, horticulture, agriculture, banking and insurance industries and employ a huge chunk of the working population in all the 47 counties.
Speaking on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, during a press conference, Matiang’i said Jubilee remains committed to peace and unity in Kenya’s political space. He did not however elaborate the measures the party has put in place to promote peace and unity in Kenya.
“We would like to say we are peaceful, we wish our fellow political players the best as we go forward. Our policy position and attitude have been outlined several times by our party leader, retired president Uhuru Kenyatta, first at the delegate conference on September 26, 2025, he said we are not involved in any conflict with anyone, we are not interested in any conflict with anyone, we genuinely believe in multi-party democracy and we would like other parties who compete with us to thrive because that is how Kenya will achieve the democracy it aspires,” Matiang’i stated.
“Those who are having various conversations of various kinds in their own parties’ internal conversations and internal arrangements, we wish them well. The truth of the matter is that we do not have any role in those conversations and that our party leader does not have any role or interest in those conversations.”
He further stressed that Jubilee continues to collaborate with other political formations through the United Opposition framework, working respectfully to address future electoral processes, including the 2027 General Election. Other than seeking to unseat Ruto in 2027, Jubilee has not provided a framework to support the economy, enhance national values as enshrined in the 2010 constitution, or offered alternative ways to address contentious issues such as funding of the university education, SHA &SHIF, Affordable Housing and concrete ways of addressing run-away corruption since 2010.
“We collaborate a lot with a lot of parties. As you know, we are members of the United Opposition by the decision of the NEC in Jubilee. We will continue working very well with our colleagues in the United Opposition very respectfully, working towards a point where we will discuss a presidential candidature and what will happen in the 2027 general election,” he said.
Matiangi emphasised that even as a retired Head of State, Uhuru Kenyatta has the right to participate in national discourse and contribute to Kenya’s development without being dragged into irrelevant arguments.
“We would like to request our colleagues in the national leadership… stop attacks on our party leader, and stop dragging our party leader into irrelevancies, things that have nothing to do with him or Jubilee. Our party leader is focused on building Jubilee. As you can see, we are growing, and I am very happy that the number of young people is growing.
“Please let our party leader have his peace, rest as a retired president who has done a lot for our country and continue to contribute to our country as he finds it necessary at this point, without being accused of this and that without being dragged into unnecessary and irrelevant arguments and conflicts,” Matiangi added.
