NAIROBI, Kenya – Jubilee Party Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i has held consultations with senior party officials, including Vice Chairman David Murathe, as the opposition outfit steps up preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The meeting, held on Friday, August 28, 2026, brought together Matiang’i, Murathe and other Jubilee officials, including the party’s director of elections.
Jubilee said the consultations were part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the party and coordinate its political activities ahead of the next election.
Matiang’i consults Jubilee leadership
The meeting comes as Jubilee continues to review its political strategy and grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls.
Murathe, a former Gatanga Member of Parliament, has maintained a relatively low public profile in recent months, making fewer public appearances even during important Jubilee Party activities.
His involvement in the latest consultations could signal renewed engagement by the party’s senior leadership as Jubilee seeks to sharpen its strategy.
Second Deputy Party Leader Jeremiah Kioni has meanwhile remained one of the party’s most visible figures, conducting grassroots engagements and media appearances to popularise and defend Jubilee’s position.
Opposition parties push for unity
The consultations also come amid intensified negotiations within the United Opposition.
Opposition leaders recently held a retreat in Nairobi, attended by Matiang’i, where the principals committed themselves to working towards a single candidate to challenge President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
The unity discussions have placed pressure on individual opposition parties to strengthen their structures while simultaneously negotiating how they will work together.
For Jubilee, the challenge is to retain its political influence while participating in a broader opposition coalition.
Jubilee faces defections
The party has also experienced a series of defections in recent months, with several politicians leaving while relatively few prominent figures have joined its ranks.
The latest notable departure was Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan, who left Jubilee and joined the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Hassan was accompanied by 11 Jubilee constituency chairpersons who also defected to DCP.
The departures have raised questions about Jubilee’s ability to retain its elected leaders and grassroots structures as political realignments ahead of 2027 accelerate.
Ole Kenta dismisses defections
Jubilee Secretary-General Ole Kenta has sought to downplay the impact of the defections, arguing that the party is not threatened by the departures.
Kenta claimed that most of the sitting MPs who had left Jubilee were unpopular and would struggle to secure re-election in 2027.
He said the party instead wants to recruit what he described as “fresh blood” capable of winning parliamentary seats under the Jubilee ticket.
Kenta has also criticised attempts by opposition parties to recruit members from within the United Opposition.
According to the Secretary-General, parties that are part of the opposition should concentrate on recruiting politicians from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and other parties considered to be the common political opponent.
Warning over opposition poaching
Kenta warned that continued competition among opposition parties for each other’s members could undermine efforts to build a united political front against Ruto.
He suggested that some politicians could be presenting themselves as opposition leaders while allegedly working to weaken other parties within the opposition alliance.
The allegations underscore the tensions facing opposition parties as they attempt to balance individual party interests with the broader objective of presenting a united challenge in 2027.
