NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 11 – Jubilee Party CEO Dann Mwangi has dismissed claims that former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i lacks the numbers to lead the opposition into the 2027 presidential election, arguing that no political leader or party owns voters.
Mwangi said the debate, advanced by former DCP secretary-general John Mwaura’s camp, was based on the misconception that individual political leaders control the votes of entire regions.
He said voters should not be treated as political property belonging to particular parties or principals, insisting that every voter ultimately makes an individual choice at the ballot.
“Nobody owns an individual’s vote or can claim to have people’s votes in their pocket. My vote is my vote, your vote is your vote and you already have a candidate in mind,” Mwangi said.
He cited Nyanza as an example, saying that while a political leader could be perceived as controlling the region’s vote, voters ultimately make their own decisions.
Mwangi also pointed to the 2022 presidential election, when he said nearly eight million registered voters did not turn out to vote, arguing that these voters remain a significant constituency ahead of the 2027 election.
He said the opposition should learn from the 2022 election, when disagreements over the voting strength of individual parties and political leaders contributed to divisions within the Azimio coalition.
Mwangi cited the decision to overlook smaller parties such as PAA and Maendeleo Chap Chap, arguing that their eventual support for President William Ruto demonstrated the danger of dismissing political players based on assumptions about their numerical strength.
He said Alfred Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap delivered more than 200,000 votes in Ukambani, while PAA leader Amason Kingi also contributed votes in Kilifi after moving to Ruto’s camp.
Mwangi argued that the combined impact was significant given that Ruto defeated Raila Odinga by about 233,000 votes in the 2022 presidential election.
He said the lesson for the opposition was that no political leader or region should be dismissed in the process of building a coalition.
“In a 50 per cent-plus-one election, you cannot dismiss people if you want the opposition to win. You must join hands with others. Nobody or no region can win the presidency alone,” he said.
Mwangi said even Mt Kenya, despite its large voter population, could not deliver the presidency on its own and would need to build alliances with other regions.
He therefore called for an honest and open process to determine the opposition’s presidential flagbearer, saying the selection should be based on the ability to build a national coalition rather than claims of ownership of regional votes.
Mwangi reiterated Jubilee’s preference for Matiang’i, whom he described as the most experienced among the opposition principals in running government.
He said Jubilee would support Matiang’i if the United Alternative Government settled on him, but insisted that the process must be credible and acceptable to all participating parties.
