Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has officially returned to Kenya after stepping down from his consultancy role with the World Bank, setting the stage for a full-on campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The Jubilee Party’s preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections jetted on Thursday night, June 19, 2025.
Matiang’i was received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by a host of leaders and his supporters. He had been away from the country for some time after his homecoming event in Kisii and Nyamira counties.
Homecoming
The former CS on May 2, 2025, kicked off his consultative tour of the Gusii region.
He traversed Kijauri, Keroka, Keumbu, Kisii town, Chepilat, Kemera, Kebirigo, Ekerenyo, and Nyamira.
“On Friday, May 2, 2025, presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i will tour his birthplace of Gusii. His public rallies begin at Nyansiongo at 9:00 am, proceed to Keroka, and make a brief stop at Kembu,” Nyaribo stated.
Matiang’i’s candidacy
On Thursday, February 20, 2025, the Jubilee Party endorsed Matiang’i as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement, Kioni stated that the decision was arrived at following a consultation with the party’s representatives from across the country.
“There is nothing like a community producing a presidential candidate. Somebody who is running for the presidency runs for the presidency of Kenya. You cannot be elected the president of Kenya on the basis of the Kisii vote, the Luo vote, the Luhya, or even the Mount Kenya vote for that matter,” Odinga stated on March 6, 2025.
“These members here have joined others across the country and other leaders of other parties by also saying they want their own presidential candidate as a party,” Kioni stated.
The Jubilee Party has settled on Matiang’i as its candidate for the 2027 presidential race despite the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which Matiang’i is a member of, also endorsing him as their choice presidential candidate.
“Their voices were loud, their resolve unshaken, and their vision for a better Kenya stronger than ever. Jubilee Party remains the home of the people, standing firm in the fight for dignity, development, and leadership that truly serves,” Kioni remarked.
