Matiang'i faces Gusii backlash over 'six-piece' Jubilee push

Jubilee presidential hopeful Fred Matiang'i. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Presidential hopeful Dr Fred Matiang'i is facing mounting pressure from his Gusii backyard following his call for voters to elect only Jubilee Party candidates in the 2027 polls. While addressing rallies across the region, Matiang'i has urged residents to back his presidential bid through the "six-piece" voting system, where voters elect candidates from one party across all six positions: President, governor, senator, MP, Woman Representative and MCA. "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. However, his push is facing resistance from rival political interests within the region, with dissenting voices emerging from smaller parties rooted in Gusii. At least six fringe parties , including United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Kenya Social Congress (KSC), Kenya National Congress (KNC), Progressive Party of Kenya (PPOK), People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Ford People have backed Matiang'i's presidential bid but rejected the six-piece approach, insisting on fielding their own candidates. "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," Kenya Social Congress leader Atati Kengere said during the launch of the party's Nyamira office. "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. Kisii Senate aspirant Richard Atemba also dismissed the six-piece call as outdated. "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," Atemba said. According to Atemba, support for Matiang'i remains intact - but limited to the presidency. "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. Despite the pushback, some leaders argue the strategy is key to consolidating power, especially if Matiang'i secures the United Opposition ticket. "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, saying electoral strength will be measured by the number of seats won. "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. West Mugirango parliamentary aspirant Dennis Anyoka, however, warned that excluding other parties could hurt Matiang'i politically. "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," Anyoka said. 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, however, insists the approach does not lock out 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

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