Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has dismissed claims that he is a “mole” working with President William Ruto, saying political differences should not be reduced to allegations of betrayal.
Speaking at a local TV station, Matiang’i addressed claims that he was secretly doing business with Ruto, amid remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua questioning the loyalty of some opposition figures.
He denied having any links to Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), while acknowledging that he has no personal problem with the President. “I don’t have any affiliation with the UDA. I don’t have any personal problem with President William Ruto,’’ he said.
Matiang’i also pointed to Gachagua’s own experience in government, noting that the former Deputy President had previously served alongside Ruto hinting that he is the one who might still have links there.
He questioned the tendency to interpret political engagement across the divide as evidence of secret dealings, arguing that such claims amount to name-calling.
“When people can’t argue on anything, they resort to name-calling,” he said.
The former Interior CS further defended Anthony Kibagendi, Peter Munya and Justin Muturi, who have publicly expressed concerns over aspects of the emerging opposition alliance, saying that Gachagua is a bully to other opposition leaders.
These remarks were made in his presence at a rally and he failed to make any comment to them,something that many political observers say could be interpreted as if he was in support of the sentiments.
Matiang’i said the three leaders had every right to air their views, even when those views differed from those of other members of the coalition.
“I will defend at all times the right of everyone to express themselves,” he said.
He said he would rather engage leaders privately if he disagreed with their remarks than condemn them publicly.
“If I was aggrieved by what they said and so on, I would call them and have a chat with them,” he said.
Matiang’i further argued that the concerns raised by Kibagendi, Munya and Muturi were not isolated.
“By the time Honourable Kibagendi and Honourable Nyonga were saying those things, they had already been said by party leaders,” he said noting that similar views had been expressed by several figures within the United Opposition,
“These are views that are held by so many people, even within the United Opposition,” Matiang’i said.
He added that some young leaders had privately expressed feelings of being disrespected or poorly handled, but said such grievances should be addressed through dialogue.
Matiang’i described the opposition alliance as a work in progress, bringing together leaders with different political histories and perspectives.
“We are on a journey to form a coalition,” he said, arguing that it would take time for the various leaders to build trust and develop a common direction.
He cautioned against allowing disagreements to turn into hostility, saying political differences were inevitable in a coalition of diverse parties and personalities.
“We must be very careful so that we don’t fall into the temptation of translating our differences of opinion to become the basis for enmity,” he said.
Matiang’i’s remarks underline his argument that dissent within the opposition should not be mistaken for disloyalty, as the coalition attempts to forge a united front ahead of the 2027 General Election.
