By Western Insight
Fred Matiang’i is making a carefully calculated return to national politics. The former Interior Cabinet Secretary has rebranded his United Progressive Alliance party ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a renewed push for political relevance, UPA has adopted a new national slogan, “Safisha Kenya”, which seeks to inspire a movement centred on ethics, public service and dignity in leadership.
Matiang’i’s team has rolled out the slogan during a closed-door meeting in Nairobi with regional party leaders, aspirants and former civil servants. The meeting focused on UPA’s strategy to field candidates in all upcoming by-elections and begin building the party’s national presence. “Safisha Kenya” translates to “Clean Up Kenya” and signals the party’s promise to run a reformist campaign with candidates free from scandal or political baggage. Matiang’i said the country is ready for a new style of politics based on discipline and results. He declared that UPA is not a vehicle for “noise makers” or “opportunists” but a political home for “reformers” and “patriots”.
Matiang’i has been quietly rebranding and organising the party with a new office on a one-acre property in Garden Estate along 27 Mukima Drive. The party is currently receiving and identifying candidates from across the country. The former Cabinet Secretary unveiled the party’s rebrand strategy with a quiet, invisible yet well-connected team of individuals who have been working discreetly behind the scenes for the last one year. These operatives, drawn from government, academia, civil society and the private sector, have built a robust back-end strategy that now positions UPA for real political engagement.
The party plans to compete in all 24 upcoming by-elections across the country. These include six National Assembly seats in Malava, where Moses Malulu Injendi died in February; Ugunja, where James Opiyo Wandayi resigned to join the Cabinet in July last year; Banisa, following the death of Kulow Maalim Hassan in a road accident in March two years ago; Magarini, where the Supreme Court nullified the election of Harrison Kombe in May; Mbeere North, where Geoffrey Ruku resigned in March to become a Cabinet Secretary; and Kasipul, where Charles Ong’ondo Were was assassinated in April this year.
The party will also field a candidate in the Baringo Senate by-election following the death of Senator William Cheptumo in February. In addition, UPA is preparing to field candidates in 17 Member of County Assembly races. These include Mumbuni North in Machakos, where Gideon Kavuu died; Nyamaiya in Nyamira, where Elijah Osiemo died in a road accident; Lakezone in Turkana, where Michael Egialan Ekwar died of cancer; Narok Town, where Lucas Ole Kudate died earlier this year; Angata Nanyekie in Samburu, where MCA Paul Leshimpiro was shot dead by bandits; and Chewani in Tana River, where Hamisi Iddi Deye died in a crash. Ten other MCA seats are currently vacant as declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and the latest addition brings the total to 24 following the death of Bungoma’s Cheele Kabuchai MCA, Barasa Mukhongo, after a long illness.
Sources within UPA indicate the party is in the process of receiving and identifying candidates for most of the seats and will make formal announcements during a meeting of the party. The party aims to use the by-elections to prove that it can translate its values and messaging into electoral success. The slogan “Safisha Kenya” is not just a catchphrase but a framework through which UPA intends to clean up Kenya’s politics. According to insiders, the party is targeting “the youth”, “professionals”, and “disillusioned voters” looking for an alternative to “noisy traditional outfits”. UPA is also designing a digital and physical campaign infrastructure aimed at creating a strong connection with Gen Z voters and youth in urban and peri-urban areas. The hope is that the 24 by-elections will serve as a national launchpad and give the party the traction it needs to become a serious player by 2027.
Beyond the by-elections and party growth, Matiang’i is also expected to use UPA as a platform for broader coalition negotiations. Discussions are already underway to bring together opposition outfits under a new unity arrangement that could rival the traditional party formations heading into 2027. While details of these negotiations remain tightly held, the former CS is understood to be playing a central role in these realignments.
Matiang’i’s approach is sober and deliberate. Rather than chasing headlines, he appears to be building something quietly but firmly. While it remains to be seen whether UPA can deliver wins in the by-elections, the party’s emergence offers a new political option in a space long dominated by “theatrics” and “recycled promises”. In a country yearning for better leadership, the message of “Safisha Kenya” may just find fertile ground.
