Jubilee Party is facing growing fears that it is sliding into a Kisii-dominated political outfit under Dr Fred Matiang’i, threatening its identity as a national party with presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The concerns follow Matiang’i’s attendance at Sunday worship at Jesus Is Alive Ministries Church, hosted by Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, accompanied by a delegation largely comprising politicians from the Abagusii community.
The entourage included Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi, Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo, former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and former Borabu MP Ben Momanyi.
A section of Jubilee members has questioned why Nairobi-based aspirants and leaders from other communities were missing from the delegation, arguing that the composition reinforces perceptions of a party increasingly dominated by Matiang’i’s home-region networks.
The concerns are compounded by the fact that Jubilee chairman Vincent Mogaka is also from the Kisii community, fuelling anxiety among some members over regional representation within the party’s leadership.
While Matiang’i is entitled to work with politicians of his choice, his critics inside the party say Jubilee must demonstrate that it remains a national outfit with presidential ambitions rather than a regional vehicle.
Jubilee, which governed Kenya under former President Uhuru Kenyatta from 2013 to 2022, faces the challenge of rebuilding its national appeal as political formations position themselves for the 2027 elections.
The complaints reflect the concerns of a section of party members and do not, on their own, establish that Jubilee has abandoned its national outlook.
