Political analyst Herman Manyora has sparked debate by claiming that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) is unnerved by Dr. Fred Matiang'i's high-profile attendance at the Jubilee Party's National Delegates Conference (NDC) last week.
According to Manyora, the move signals a potential Uhuru Kenyatta-backed resurgence that could erode DCP's grip on the volatile Mt Kenya vote ahead of 2027.
The Jubilee NDC, chaired by ex-President Kenyatta on September 26, drew massive attention when Matiang'i, the former Interior Cabinet Secretary, made a surprise appearance alongside party stalwarts.
Speculation swirled that Kenyatta would endorse Matiang'i as Jubilee's presidential flagbearer, positioning him as a formidable opposition challenger to President William Ruto.
However, Kenyatta deftly sidestepped direct questions, leaving the crowd and the nation hanging.
Matiang'i neither spoke nor received formal leadership handover, but his presence alone reignited talks of a Jubilee revival.
Manyora, speaking on a recent TV panel, alleged DCP's anxiety stems from Matiang'i's star power in Central Kenya, a region Gachagua dominates but views as his political fiefdom.
"Gachagua controls Mt Kenya, but Uhuru backing Matiang'i on the Jubilee ticket would spell trouble for DCP's alliances, especially with Wiper," Manyora noted, warning of a potential sacrifice of Matiang'i in coalition horse-trading.
Gachagua has repeatedly dismissed Matiang'i as "inconsequential," a barb Manyora interprets as deflection amid fears of vote-splitting.791e30
This comes amid fractured opposition dynamics. Gachagua, impeached and now leading DCP, has courted alliances with Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper, but Matiang'i's Jubilee ties complicate the equation.
Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni has urged unity behind one candidate, implicitly favoring Matiang'i to counter Ruto's UDA.
Critics like MP Samuel Arama hail Matiang'i as the opposition's savior, while others decry the event as a non-starter, with Matiang'i "sinking with a dead Jubilee."
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