Jubilee Party Director of Elections Kembi Gitura has said he expects partner parties in the united opposition to support its candidate in the upcoming Ol Kalou by-election, even as internal competition within the alliance continues to take shape.

Speaking on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at ACK St. Peter’s Kiganda in Mathioya Constituency, where Deputy Party Leader and flag bearer Fred Matiang’i was present, Gitura said Jubilee remains committed to internal democracy and will proceed to the ballot.

“We shall have free, fair, and transparent elections katika Jubilee. Na kama Zack amesema, kama Zack amesema akiongea, we are going all the way to the ballot because our presidential candidate is here with us,” he said.

He added that although the opposition is working under a united front, individual parties will still present candidates in certain contests, including Ol Kalou.

“Tuko katika United opposition, that is true, but we are pushing for our candidate,” Gitura said.

He pointed to Ol Kalou as a key example of how the arrangement will work in practice. He noted that Jubilee is fielding its own candidate in the constituency, arguing that the party has historical ties to the seat following the election of the late MP David Kiaraho on a Jubilee ticket.

“Na ndio sababu tukiangalia, hata kule kwa Ol Kalou ambao hapo tulipoteza mmoja wetu, mheshimiwa Kiaraho ambaye alikuwa kwa chama chetu cha Jubilee, we are fielding a candidate in Ol Kalou, and we are going to go to the ballot with our candidate,” he said.

Push for opposition unity

Gitura, however, expressed confidence that the broader opposition would rally behind the eventual outcome, pointing to past cooperation in other constituencies.

“We believe that the others in the United Opposition are going to support that position the way we supported them in Mbeere and other places so that we can have one united opposition candidate in the party that had fielded Mr Kiaraho,” he said.

His remarks come amid growing debate within the opposition over whether parties should back a single candidate or allow internal competition in by-elections.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua recently defended the decision to field separate candidates, saying the arrangement amounts to “friendly fire” within the alliance and arguing that opposition parties are confident of victory against the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Gachagua said each constituent party in the united opposition would be free to present its own candidate, insisting that coordination would come later if needed.

Jubilee, however, has maintained that cooperation remains important, arguing that past by-elections saw the party step aside in some areas in favour of alliance partners.

The Ol Kalou contest has already exposed tensions between Jubilee and the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), with both sides insisting they are ready for the polls and neither willing to concede ground.

Despite the differences, Gitura’s statement signals Jubilee’s hope that internal competition will not break the broader opposition cooperation once nominations are concluded and a candidate is settled.