“Jubilee is not retreating, Jubilee is rising.”

That was the defiant declaration from the Jubilee Party as it officially opened its Kisii County offices in what is widely seen as a calculated political incursion into the backyard of Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i ahead of the 2027 General Election.

This comes ahead of the planned United Opposition tour of the Gusii region to bolster the political vote in an already shifting ground in favour of Jubilee, as the bigwings strategise on the 2027 contest to stop President William Ruto’s reelection bid.

In a Facebook statement on Friday, February 20, 2026, announcing the move, the party framed the Kisii launch as more than routine political housekeeping.

“Today our movement planted new roots in Kisii County with the official opening of our county offices, led by our Secretary General Hon. Moitalel Ole Kenta MP, alongside the National Chairman Vincent Kemosi, Deputy Secretary General Zack Kinuthia and the Kisii county leadership,” the post read.

Jubilee showed that it plans to base its presidential bid on a solid and united regional voting bloc instead of leaving it open to behind-the-scenes political deals.

 “While the regime in Nairobi chases headlines, taxes hustlers dry, and blames everyone but itself for a collapsing economy, Jubilee is organising, listening, and preparing to fix what they have broken,” the party said.

Matiangi is Ruto’s headache?

By any political measure, Matiang’i is shaping up to be Ruto’s most stubborn headache ahead of 2027.

In a season defined by elite pacts, tactical confusion and relentless propaganda, Matiang’i represents something the President has struggled to neutralise: competence with credibility. Ruto’s 2027 strategy appears increasingly clear: fragment opposition strongholds, broker tactical cooperation deals, and soften resistance in traditionally hostile regions.

Yet in Kisii and the larger Gusii region, that strategy is meeting resistance. Rather than splintering, the base appears to be consolidating.

Matiang’i’s brand, carefully cultivated during his years in government, still resonates. Often referred to as Mr Fix It, he built a reputation as a no-nonsense administrator who delivered results quietly while others dominated headlines. That image, disciplined, firm and technocratic, contrasts sharply with an administration critics accuse of overpromising and underdelivering.

Jubilee is leaning heavily into that contrast.

“Our people deserve competence, discipline and results again. That journey leads to 2027 and to the candidacy of Dr Fred Matiang’i, proven, fearless, and ready to restore order, opportunity and dignity,” the party declared.

Competence, once dismissed as politically bland, is emerging as a rallying cry, particularly among younger voters fatigued by performative politics.

The Gen Z electorate is increasingly vocal, digitally savvy and impatient with what it perceives as incompetence, corruption and policy inconsistency.

Unlike conventional political firebrands, Matiang’i does not rely on chest-thumping rallies or daily political skirmishes to command attention. His appeal lies in delivery. That makes him harder to caricature or divide along ethnic or factional lines.

Crucially, Jubilee is not walking alone. In a statement posted on February 18, 2026, the Party of National Unity (PNU) formally endorsed Matiang’i as its presidential candidate, sealing a cooperation pact with Jubilee.

“Today marks a defining moment in the political history of our nation. Jubilee Party and the Party of National Unity have formally agreed to walk together, guided by a shared conviction that Kenya deserves steady, experienced, and people-centred leadership,” the statement read.

The parties emphasised institutional memory and governance experience. “These are not parties of experiment or empty slogans. They are parties that have formed government before, parties whose record in stabilising the economy, building institutions, expanding infrastructure, and protecting national unity is well known to every Kenyan.”

“Dr Matiang’i represents discipline in public service, courage in decision-making, and a track record of results in education reform, security coordination, and public administration,” the statement read.