Jubilee Party leader Fred Matiang’i has defended his efforts to explore fundraising opportunities in Japan as he prepares for a possible presidential campaign in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an interview on Sunday, November 1, 2026, the former Interior Cabinet Secretary said politicians often seek financial support from different sources, including business people based outside their home countries.
Matiang’i argued that fundraising was a normal part of political campaigns and claimed that some presidential hopefuls travelled abroad to meet potential supporters without publicly discussing such engagements.
“That’s fundraising. Everybody raises funds. In fact, I’m transparent in this case compared to many people,” he said.
He added that politicians sometimes travel outside the country to meet business people and explore possible financial support.
During the interview, Matiang’i was asked whether he intended to seek money directly from the Japanese government. He rejected that interpretation, explaining that his planned engagement was aimed at seeking advice and finding out whether resources could be available through other channels.
“No. To seek advice and find out if you would get resources from such places,” he clarified.
The Jubilee leader also dismissed suggestions that exploring fundraising opportunities abroad would automatically threaten Kenya’s sovereignty.
He challenged critics to point out the specific election law that his proposed activities would violate, insisting that the question should be examined within the country’s election financing regulations.
“There is no problem. That is on election financing laws. There is no problem at all. And by the way, show me which election law has been violated in this case,” he stated.
Matiang’i further questioned why attention was being directed towards the country involved before establishing the nature of the organisation, the source of the money and where the funds would be held.
He also pointed to Kenya’s financial monitoring systems, arguing that moving money into the country from abroad could attract the attention of relevant authorities.
“For a country like ours now you can’t move funds from anywhere in the world without our systems noticing it,” he said.
His remarks come amid wider discussions about how political movements and candidates finance their activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sifuna Reveals Public Contributions to Linda Mwananchi
The fundraising discussion also brings attention to earlier remarks by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna about contributions received by the Linda Mwananchi movement.
In July 2026, Sifuna dismissed claims that retired President Uhuru Kenyatta was financing the movement’s rallies. He explained that although he maintained communication with the former president, their conversations did not amount to financial support or political instructions.
Sifuna described Uhuru as the leader of the Azimio coalition and a close political ally of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The senator also revealed that the movement’s Paybill number had received approximately KSh6.5 million in public contributions at the time of his remarks.
He thanked Kenyans who had contributed, arguing that public funding could help citizens support leaders and political activities they believed in.
The comments from Matiang’i and Sifuna highlight the growing attention being given to campaign financing as political leaders position themselves ahead of the next general election.
However, the legality of any foreign fundraising arrangement depends on the applicable Kenyan laws, the source and nature of the funds, and the way contributions are received and used. Matiang’i’s defence does not by itself establish whether any proposed arrangement would meet those requirements.
