Presidential hopeful Fred Matiang’i is facing growing resistance in the Gusii region over his call for a “six-piece” voting strategy under the Jubilee Party ahead of the 2027 General Election.
During recent rallies, Matiang’i has been urging voters to back a unified ticket by electing Jubilee candidates across all six elective positions — from President to MCA — as a way of strengthening his bid for State House.
“If you, as my people have every good will that I win this presidential race, then the first thing you need to do is to don me with a single color suit at the ballot. That is the power I will need from you if you want our journey to Statehouse to remain unstoppable,” Matiang’i said.
But the proposal has triggered pushback from leaders allied to smaller parties in the region, who support his presidential ambitions but reject a blanket endorsement of Jubilee candidates.
A coalition of fringe parties including UPA, KSC, KNC, PPOK, PDP and Ford People, has backed Matiang’i’s State House bid while insisting on fielding candidates in other races.
“We are in full support of Dr Matiang’I’s presidency but we need to have freedom to field our candidates in other elective positions,” said Atati Kengere.
“There is no harm in fielding candidates to compete for the other elective positions that are below the presidency. That is the democratic space that we need to enjoy as small parties. Our people should be left to be at free will to choose their leaders, regardless their party affiliation,” Kengere added.
The six-piece approach has also been criticised by some aspirants, who argue it is outdated in the current political climate.
“The ideology of six piece ended long time ago when the democratic space was still bottled unlike now when its wide open for divergence. Heeding the call will mean that all people will be muzzled into one hole which will be very dangerous politically,” said Richard Atemba.
Atemba maintained that regional support for Matiang’i remains strong but should be confined to the presidential vote.
“We can support Matiangi from any political quarter we are in. Let him focus on the presidency and his focus on the United Opposition ticket and let the people choose their leaders,” he said.
However, Jubilee leaders in the region have defended the strategy, arguing that a unified vote is critical for effective governance should Matiang’i clinch the presidency.
“We are very much optimistic that he (Matiangi) will be at the ballot and he is poised for a big win. The win will not make sense if he will not be having enough MPs and senators in the National Assembly and the only way to insulate the situation is starting with the call for six piece voting,” said Nyamira Jubilee Chairman Isaac Atebe.
Jubilee Party National Chairman Vincent Kemosi echoed the sentiment, linking electoral strength to legislative numbers.
“The number of seats a presidential candidate wins will be the ultimate power for any presidential candidate. Its unimaginable that a person can be president but without MPs. That’s why the call for support for Jubilee Party candidates is necessary,” Kemosi said.
Still, critics warn that enforcing a single-party approach at the grassroots could alienate voters and weaken Matiang’i’s broader coalition prospects.
“There is no way Matiangi can push away candidates from other parties and call for election for only those in his Jubilee Party. He will lose it on the ground and he should not go that route. Let him focus on the United Opppsoition ticket but at the grassroots, let the people decide,” said Dennis Anyoka.
The lawyer and political analyst added that six-piece voting often favours unqualified candidates.
“There are those people only waiting to be endorsed by Matiangi for them to find undeserved favor with their electorates at the ballot. This will not be anymore because voters are clever now,” he said.
Matiang’i has, however, defended his position, maintaining that the proposal does not exclude other aspirants.
“By calling for a six piece vote, it doesn’t mean that we have closed doors for any person. We are inviting everyone as we look forward to do nominations that are above board and which will point us to having agreeable way forward in attaining our ultimate goal of capturing presidency. No one will be left out,” he said.
