NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 27 – Former President Uhuru Kenyatta is back in the political ring and this time, he is fighting without the power of State House behind him.
On Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Jubilee Party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Ngong Racecourse, Uhuru rallied his old party, promising to reorganize and field strong candidates in 2027.
But the real question is: what is Uhuru’s endgame?
In 2022, Uhuru threw all his weight and the so-called “deep state” behind ODM leader Raila Odinga.
With state machinery, loyal Cabinet secretaries, and massive political networks, Uhuru believed Raila would easily succeed him.
Instead, his successor William Ruto, deputy-turned-rival, outsmarted them all and captured State House.
Three years later, Raila is now working hand in hand with Ruto under the broad-based government, even hinting at supporting him until the end of his term.
Meanwhile, Uhuru, who once controlled the levers of power, is back to opposition politics, trying to resurrect Jubilee from the ashes.
The irony could not be sharper.
– Fred Matiang’i – Uhuru’s wild card for 2027 –
The NDC was not just about party unity.
It was about floating a new presidential project.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Uhuru’s once-powerful enforcer, gave his clearest signal yet that he is eyeing the presidency under Jubilee’s ticket.
Reports suggest Uhuru is quietly grooming Matiang’i as his chosen flag bearer in 2027.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and 2027 presidential hopeful Fred Matiangi during the Jubilee Party NDC on Friday, Sep 26, 2025 in Nairobi.
But can Matiang’i, a technocrat feared in office but untested on the campaign trail, rally grassroots support against Ruto’s well-oiled political machine?
Or is he simply a pawn in Uhuru’s bigger revenge plot?
At the NDC, Uhuru painted himself as a leader whose achievements had been “erased” by Ruto’s government.
He listed roads, electricity, and free maternity services as his legacy and attacked Ruto for scrapping programs like Linda Mama.
“Some things have become clear to me, you succeed by building on past successes. You fail by ignoring past mistakes,” Uhuru told the delegates, in what sounded like both a warning and a reminder of his own unheeded caution to voters in 2022.
– Legacy or revenge? Uhuru’s endgame question –
Critics, however, see something else: a retired president still haunted by the humiliation of losing his succession gamble.
Is Uhuru fighting to restore his image and protect his legacy or is this all about revenge against his former deputy who toppled him politically?
The NDC marked the formal return of Uhuru’s grip on Jubilee after years of court battles with rival factions.
The sight of his son, Jomo Kenyatta, at the event sparked whispers of dynastic politics, while Matiang’i’s presence fired up talk of a fresh presidential project.
But the hard truth is Jubilee today is not the powerhouse it was in 2013 or 2017.
The party was almost buried after 2022.
Can Uhuru, stripped of state power and clout, really pull off a comeback now?
Or is this just political shadow-boxing meant to unsettle Ruto?
President Ruto faces growing criticism over the cost of living and controversial policies, but unseating a sitting president is no small task.
Uhuru knows this better than anyone after all, even with the “deep state,” he could not stop Ruto in 2022.
This leaves the country asking: what exactly is Uhuru’s last gamble about?
Is it revenge, an attempt to rewrite his legacy, or a desperate play to shape Kenya’s 2027 political order through Matiang’i?
One thing is clear: Uhuru Kenyatta is not done with Kenyan politics and his re-entry could either spark a serious challenge to Ruto or expose the limits of dynastic comebacks in a changing political landscape.
