Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i has assured supporters that the Jubilee Party nominations for the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election will be conducted fairly and transparently.

In a post on X on Saturday, May 9, 2026, Matiang’i said the party had received many questions from supporters seeking clarity on how the nominations would be handled. He promised that the process would follow all proper procedures.

“We’ve received so many of your questions about how the nominations will be conducted,” he wrote. “As Jubilee Party, we want to assure you that the entire process will be carried out fairly, transparently, and in line with all proper procedures, beginning right at the party level.”

He added that the party is also in talks within the broader opposition coalition as it prepares for the Ol Kalou contest.

“We are also actively engaging at the United Opposition level,” he said, ending his message with the slogan “Mbele Pamoja!”

His remarks come as political activity intensifies ahead of the Ol Kalou by-election scheduled for July 2026. The seat fell vacant following the death of Member of Parliament David Kiaraho in March 2026.

The Jubilee Party has already invited aspirants to apply for nomination. In a notice issued earlier, the party said interested candidates were required to register through its online portal before the deadline set for May 4, 2026.

The party also confirmed that nomination fees would apply depending on the category. Male aspirants are required to pay Ksh200,000, female aspirants Ksh100,000, and youth aspirants Ksh50,000. Persons with disabilities are exempted from paying the fee.

Jubilee further announced that its elections board will conduct nominations in Ol Kalou on May 9, 2026, across all gazetted polling stations.

“The Elections Board will conduct nominations through the approved method on 9th May 2026 in Ol Kalou constituency and the person declared shall be provided with a nomination certificate in accordance with the party constitution,” the party stated.

Nominations take shape

The nominations come at a time when competition within the opposition is also shaping up. The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) also conducted its primaries on the same day and pledged to ensure transparency in handling disputes arising from the exercise.

DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala said the party remains committed to fair internal democracy.

“The Democracy for the Citizens Party reaffirms its commitment to free, fair, and transparent nominations,” Malala said during the primaries on May 9, 2026.

At the same time, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) picked its candidate for the seat. Samuel Muchina Nyaga secured the party ticket after winning the nomination exercise held earlier on May 9.

The Ol Kalou seat is now expected to attract a tight contest between Jubilee, UDA, and DCP candidates as parties test their strength in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Despite growing political competition, Matiang’i insisted that Jubilee will follow its internal structures and avoid premature political statements before the process is completed.

“It is disrespectful of institutions to start running commentaries on matters that are going on and we have not completed the processes,” he said in a separate address.

He added that party structures must be allowed to complete their work before any political declarations are made.

“Let the structures run the course and then we will comment about them. I don’t want to be an irresponsible person who shoots my mouth about things that we are working on internally,” he said.

As the race for Ol Kalou continues, attention now turns to party nominations expected to shape the final list of candidates for the July by-election.