Matiang’i accuses Gachagua of arrogance and pride, warns of opposition split

Matiang’i accuses Gachagua of arrogance and pride, warns of opposition split

e maintained that the country’s leadership should be determined through competition based on ideas, development platforms, track records, competence and qualifications rather than ethnic mobilisation.

Jubilee Party presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i has hit out at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, claiming that his arrogance, pride and political ambitions could divide the opposition and weaken its chances of defeating President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Sunday during an interview with NTV, Matiang’i warned that the opposition risked losing focus on issues affecting Kenyans if its leadership became dominated by individual ambitions, ethnic interests and attempts by a few politicians to dictate the direction of the coalition.

He maintained that the country’s leadership should be determined through competition based on ideas, development platforms, track records, competence and qualifications rather than ethnic mobilisation.

“That majoritarian arrogance and that particular pride is precisely what is going to split the opposition and make it very difficult for the opposition to come together. The leadership and future of our country is not to be decided on ethnic balkanisation. I thought that this was a competition of ideas, platforms, track records, competence and qualifications,” Matiang’i said.

He argued that arrogance and pride among opposition leaders could create divisions at a time when the coalition needed to unite behind a candidate capable of challenging Ruto in the next election.

The former Interior Cabinet Secretary also questioned the argument that anyone could replace the president, saying the opposition needed to offer a credible alternative rather than focus solely on taking over State House.

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“When you wake up and tell me anybody can replace Ruto, it means the problems we have with Ruto are that we are not sitting in that seat ourselves,” he said.

Matiang’i said he was willing to support any candidate selected through an inclusive and acceptable process but opposed attempts by a small group of politicians to impose their preferred candidate on others.

“I will support anyone picked through an inclusive, acceptable, and respectful process. I have a serious problem with two or three people frogmarching everybody to a particular corner,” he said.

He further cautioned opposition leaders against assuming that unity automatically guaranteed victory, citing Brazil, where a united opposition candidate had recently lost to an incumbent president.

“A united opposition candidate has just lost an election to an incumbent president in Brazil. Politics is very dynamic,” he said.

Despite his concerns about divisions within the opposition, Matiang’i maintained that Ruto’s chances of retaining power depended on whether his challengers remained united.

He cited what he described as the latest credible opinion survey, arguing that the president’s clearest path to retaining power was a divided opposition.

“The latest credible survey demonstrates very clearly that President Ruto only has one pathway – a split opposition,” Matiang’i said.

The Jubilee Party leader also outlined his agenda for Kenya if elected president, promising to introduce major changes in governance, security and economic policies.

He pledged to scrap the Housing Levy, arguing that the tax burden on Kenyans was unsustainable and that the government needed to address wastage of public resources and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Matiang’i identified corruption as one of the biggest obstacles to the country’s development, warning that Kenya would struggle to make progress unless the vice was tackled decisively.

“The level of corruption has reached unprecedented levels; unless it’s addressed courageously and boldly, we will not make headway,” he said.

He described his proposed leadership as a one-term presidency focused on delivering fundamental changes rather than remaining in power for an extended period.

“This is what I mean when I say one-term plus positive change. Change that will shake this country to its bone marrow,” he said.

On security, Matiang’i promised a firm approach towards political violence and criminal activities, declaring that his administration would not tolerate goonism.

“If I were president, you would not hear anything called goonism in Kenya,” he said.

He argued that allowing political leaders to escape accountability for criminal activities had contributed to continued violence, insisting that immediate and decisive action was necessary to restore law and order.

“It’s very simple: if leaders are allowed to get away with crime, you will not stop it. It’s firmness, decisiveness, direct and immediate action that will sort out these problems,” he said.

The former CS also pledged to protect Kenya’s sovereignty and the rights of foreign nationals, saying his administration would not allow foreigners to be arrested in Kenya and handed over to their governments under circumstances similar to those involving Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who was reportedly abducted in Nairobi in November 2024 and transferred to Uganda.

“No foreign citizen will be arrested in Kenya and handed over to their country the way Kizza Besigye was. That is very wrong,” Matiang’i said.

On campaign financing, Matiang’i ruled out receiving financial support from foreign entities, saying his presidential bid would depend on contributions from local supporters and volunteers.

He said the campaign would comply with electoral financing disclosure requirements expected from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“I will never be president with financial aid with any foreign entity, because you know I imagine that the regulations of IEBC are going to require full disclosure and sealings of financing and it will be required of everyone,” he said.

His remarks came amid speculation linking his presidential bid to reports that he could seek financial support from the Kingdom of Japan.

Matiang’i has previously said he is not a wealthy businessman and would depend on ordinary Kenyans to finance his political activities.