A top organ of the United Progressive Alliance Party(UPA) has endorsed the former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.
The former powerful CS under Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration is said to have quietly jetted into Kenya a few days ago from the USA where he has been since 2022.
A meeting of UPA’s National Executive Committee in Nyamira on Wednesday unanimously agreed to front Matiang’i in the 2027 presidential contest.
On Wednesday, UPA Secretary General Jacob Bagaka said the party’s NEC had ratified a proposal to field Matiang’i as its presidential candidate in 2027.
“We don’t have any fear of contradiction that Dr Matiang’i’s popularity in the country is indisputable and the decision of the party to prepare for his candidacy is a gesture that has been appreciated from across the country,” Bagaka said.
Bagaka said the party will soon roll out an aggressive campaign to popularise the outfit outside Gusii region as Matiang’i’s possible vehicle in the 2027 presidential contest.
“We are ready to hit the ground running to position UPA as a formidable force.”‘
On his party, Nyamira Governor Amoss Nyaribo, who is the UPA leader, said the party was growing in leaps and bounds ahead of the 2027 polls.
“Our party is already national and we shall triple campaigns aimed at making it more vibrant through membership,” Nyaribo said.
Nyaribo said there are efforts to have UPA team up with other like-minded Gusii-based parties to broaden the region’s bargaining power ahead of the 2027 elections.
“UPA leadership is engaged in meetings with other parties from Gusii to forge a formidable force to propel Matiang’i to the presidency,” Nyaribo said after the UPA NEC meeting.
Matiang’i was one of the founders of UPA in the build-up to the 2022 polls when he was primed as Uhuru’s possible successor.
The former powerful interior CS would, however back Azimio La Umoja’s Raila Odinga who lost to President William Ruto.
UPA managed to secure one governor, one MP and 18 MCAs countrywide after the 2022 elections.
While Matiang’i has not publicly declared his presidential ambition, there have been reports that he is planning to challenge President Ruto in 2027.
by JAMES MBAKA