Senator Richard Onyonka: Why I dumped Matiang’i for Sifuna

Senator Richard Onyonka: Why I dumped Matiang’i for Sifuna

Onyoka’s new role in Sifuna’s fold is particularly significant given the senator’s previous role in championing Matiang’i’s presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election was key.

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has revealed that he has backed out of supporting Jubilee Party presidential candidate Fred Matiang’i’s bid following what he described as insincerity and lack of commitment towards Opposition unity.

In an interview with The Eastleigh Voice, Onyonka, who has been proposed for the position of National Treasurer of the Linda Mwananchi Party, said he dumped the former interior cabinet secretary for showing open lack of interest in Opposition unity and unwarranted attacks on fellow Opposition principals.

“I realised he (Fred Matiang’i) is not interested in becoming the president of this country. His disorganisation and attacks on fellow presidential hopefuls in the Opposition have been a clear indication that he has a different agenda,” said Onyonka.

Onyoka’s new role in Sifuna’s fold is particularly significant given the senator’s previous role in championing Matiang’i’s presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election was key.

Onyonka further revealed that Matiang’i could be working to help President Ruto’s agenda of dividing the Opposition come true. He questioned, for instance, why the former cabinet secretary has been attacking former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua.

“It is interesting that he is attacking Gachagua, a fellow principal in the Opposition like him. If not dividing and causing confusion in the Opposition. What could be his agenda?” he asked.

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In his view, it is Sifuna who stands a better chance of getting national support if he becomes the Opposition flagbearer post. “I am supporting Sifuna because I know that it is only he who can galvanise support across the country to help Kenyans uproot Ruto from power. There are certain Opposition principals demonstrating sabotage against unity.”

In January 2025, the senator publicly declared that the Abagusii community would support Matiang’i’s presidential bid in the 2027 General Election.

He subsequently defended the former Interior CS’s campaign, calling for political inclusion and encouraging leaders from different political backgrounds to rally behind him.

First elected to Parliament in 2007 on Omingo Magara's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Kitutu Chache, Onyonka quickly gravitated toward Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

In the Grand Coalition Government of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga, he was appointed Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs. While serving in that docket, Mr Onyonka began tilting towards his then-boss, Moses Wetang'ula, and his FORD-Kenya party.

Presidential aspirant Fred Matiang’i during a past rally. (Photo: X/Fred Matiang'i)

Ahead of the 2012 General Election, he was elevated to Deputy Party Leader of FORD-Kenya. Yet when the election cycle arrived, he executed yet another swift about-turn, returning to ODM.

Onyonka was subsequently elected on the ODM as the first Member of Parliament for the newly created Kitutu Chache South Constituency, carved out from the larger Kitutu Chache.

Articulate and fluent in public speaking, Mr Onyonka initially dismissed those predicting a full defection, branding them naysayers.

Initially, he argued that the broader opposition, to which Matiang'i belongs, was pursuing a common goal and that supporting Sifuna did not amount to abandoning Matiang'i.

"The opposition is one team. I cannot abandon Matiang'i for Sifuna or Sifuna for Matiang'i. They are playing in the same league," he told supporters at one rally.

To the astonishment of many, Onyonka proved his critics right on Friday (today) after he was appointed Treasurer of Linda Mwananchi, effectively sealing his pivot from Matiang'i's camp.

He explains his shifting loyalties, he offered an evasive but telling response: "You will see it today. I am still a member of the opposition. But I will be in Linda Mwananchi."

Political analyst Omondi Okumu asserts that Mr Onyonka's flip-flop nature is not new to politics; rather, it is a defining characteristic of his career. This tendency to shift allegiances reflects the adaptability often required in a dynamic political landscape, suggesting that Onyonka's strategy may be more about survival and relevance than loyalty.

"For Onyonka, the move to Linda Mwananchi may be less about abandonment and more about reinvention - a familiar script in a career built on reading the political winds early," said Mr Okumu.

The endorsement coincided with Sifuna's official unveiling as leader and presidential flagbearer of The Equitable Party (TEP) on October 4, 2026. During the TEP launch, Onyonka was careful to acknowledge other opposition figures, including Dr Matiang'i, emphasising collaboration.

"Both of them are our brothers. Fred is one of the best managers I have ever known. If he becomes president, hallelujah. But you see, look at this young guy. How can I lose Sifuna so that I get Fred?" he posed, capturing the delicate balancing act that has come to define his political brand.