UPA gives Matiang’i, Onchoke Bagaka,14 days to explain party allegiance
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Kisii Regional Chair Richard Mwebi has issued show-cause letters to former Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Bonchari MP Charles Onchoke and Masige West MCA Jacob Bagaka, giving them 14 days to clarify their commitment and allegiance to the party.
Mwebi said the three have been asked to explain their political stance and relationship with UDA amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election.
According to Mwebi, the show-cause notices require the three to respond within 14 days and clarify whether they remain committed to UDA and its political objectives.
“We still have a few days to elapse,” Mwebi said at his office.
The move by the party comes at a time when Matiang’i has emerged as a prominent figure in discussions around the 2027 presidential contest, with political leaders in the Gusii region increasingly taking different positions on the emerging alliances.
Matiang’i, a former Cabinet secretary, was initially linked to the party before switching sides to Jubilee Party.
His growing political activities have attracted the attention of both supporters and rival political camps.
Onchoke, who represents Bonchari Constituency in the National Assembly, has also been part of the shifting political calculations in the region.
On Monday, he was sighted at an ODM function alongside Kisii Governor Simba Arati, the Deputy ODM party leader.
On Tuesday he disputed reports that he had ditched UPA.
“I have not done any political move, those are baseless rumours,” he stated by phone.
On Monday during an interview in his office, Mwebi said the notices were intended to give the three leaders an opportunity to state their position before the party considers any further action.
The regional party official did not however indicate what sanctions, if any, could follow should the two fail to respond within the stipulated period.
The development is likely to intensify debate within UPA in Kisii as the party seeks to consolidate its support in the region ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also comes against the backdrop of increasing political activity in Kisii and Nyamira counties, where leaders are positioning themselves around competing presidential and local political formations.
Mwebi said the party expects Matiang’i , Bagaka and Onchoke to use the 14-day period to clearly state where they stand.
Bagaka and Matiangi’ had not, by the time of publication, publicly responded to the show-cause notices.
