Uhuru Hands Jubilee Leadership to Matiang’i Ahead of 2027
The transition also marks a new phase for Jubilee, which has experienced internal leadership disputes and restructuring since the 2022 General Election.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has handed over leadership of the Jubilee Party to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, ending his tenure as party leader ahead of the 2027 General Election. Photo: The Standard Kenya.
By Robert Mutasi
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has handed over the leadership of the Jubilee Party to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, ending his formal tenure at the helm of the party as it prepares for the 2027 General Election.
Uhuru announced the transition during a meeting with Jubilee officials in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 22, saying Matiang’i would take over as party leader pending formal confirmation by the party’s National Delegates Convention.
“While we wait for the NDC, Fred Matiang’i will step up and take my position as the party leader,” Uhuru said.The former President clarified that he would remain a member of Jubilee and continue participating in the party in a senior advisory capacity.
“I will not leave Jubilee. I have decided that I will remain as a senior adviser and a senior member of Jubilee,” he said.
Matiang’i accepted the responsibility and thanked Uhuru for his leadership and guidance. He said the transition came at a difficult moment but pledged to continue building the party around its founding principle of political inclusion.
The former Interior CS has been serving as one of Jubilee’s deputy party leaders. The party had already endorsed him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election in October 2025.
Matiang’i also called for greater unity within Jubilee and said the party should resolve internal disagreements through its own structures. He indicated that he would engage party members and grassroots leaders as he takes charge of the organisation.
The leadership change comes against the backdrop of a legal dispute over the role of retired presidents in political parties.
On September 14, Justice Lawrence Mugambi upheld Section 6 of the Presidential Retirement Benefits Act, which restricts a retired president from holding office in a political party more than six months after leaving State House.
The ruling did not prevent retired presidents from remaining party members or participating in political activities.The legal question has been central to discussions surrounding Uhuru’s continued leadership of Jubilee since he left State House in 2022.
The transition also marks a new phase for Jubilee, which has experienced internal leadership disputes and restructuring since the 2022 General Election.
Rival factions previously contested control of the party, with some disagreements ending up before the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal and the courts.
Matiang’i now takes charge as Jubilee reorganises its structures and seeks to consolidate its position ahead of the 2027 election.Uhuru, meanwhile, remains within the party as a senior member and adviser, keeping him involved in Jubilee affairs while relinquishing the formal leadership position.
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