Party endorses Matiang’i 2027 bid

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Party’s National Executive Council has endorsed former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as its presidential candidate in the 2027 elections.

The council met yesterday in Nyamira town to plan to popularise the party countrywide ahead of the elections.

Addressing journalists outside the Party’s Nyamira county office, the party’s governing council said it was ready for a Matiang’i presidency and was laying strategies to promote the ambition.

Led by the party leader and Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo, Secretary General Jacob Bagaka and Chairman Nyambega Gisesa, the leaders noted that UPA was engaged in meetings with other parties from Gusii to forge a formidable force to propel Matiang’i to the presidency.

“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.

Major back-up

According to Gisesa, the motive of projecting Matiang’i had already found a major backup from the Mount Kenya region, something he said was a big boost for the founded plans.

“The party is cognizant of the fact that our people in Central Kenya and Mount Kenya have already given us their blessings to groom Matiang’i. Even the Gen-Z approvals of the former CS that we have witnessed across the country says it all that we are ready for a Matiang’i presidency,” Gisesa said.

Nyaribo on his part said the main strategy for now was increasing the formation’s popularity across the country with a view of registering new members.

“Our party is already national and we shall triple campaigns aimed at making it more vibrant through membership,” Nyaribo said.

UPA was founded by Dr Matiang’I in the build-up of the 2022 general elections, but he ceded ground for Azimio One Kenya Alliance leader Raila Odinga.

He instead relinquished the leadership to Nyaribo who went ahead to win the gubernatorial polls on the party’s ticket.

The formation has one governor, one MP and 18 MCAs who are distributed countrywide.