Will Matiangi Succeed in his 2027 Presidential bid

Fred Matiangi Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i is preparing to run for president in the 2027 General Election. It will be interesting to see whether he will succeed where his mentor, former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae, failed in 2002. Matiang'i served as a personal assistant to Nyachae, who died in 2021, and later as the Presidential campaign manager for the wealthy politician when he contested for the presidency using the FORD People party ticket. Although Nyachae did not clinch the presidency, his party won 15 Parliamentary seats. In the 2002 election Nyachae emerged third behind Mwai Kibaki, who won, and then-ruling party Kanu candidate Uhuru Kenyatta. Matiang'i made a name as an assertive Cabinet Secretary for the 10 years he served under Uhuru, winning himself admirers and detractors in equal measure. He first served in the ICT ministry in 2013 where midwived the controversial analogue to digital migration. He then caused ripples in the Ministry of Education when he dealt with the menace of examination cheating. He was moved to the powerful Interior ministry after the 2017 General Election, where he attracted criticism for the manner in which security agencies dealt with State critics and crime suspects. Uhuru also appointed him as Chairperson of the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee, a position which appeared to elevate him above the embattled then-Deputy President William Ruto. Uhuru entrusted Matiang'i with the delivery of all National Government programmes and projects and he reported directly to the President. In his bid to capture the presidency in the next election, Matiang'i has hired the services of Montreal-based Canadian lobbying firm Dickens & Madson to help him strategise for his 2027 presidential campaigns after making a down payment of $65,000 (Sh8.4 million) of the $250,000 (Sh32.5 million) which was required to jumpstart the process of lobbying for international support. According to documents filed by Dickens & Madson with the United States of America Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Matiang'i hired the company on July 13, 2024, to help him seek international support as he prepares to gun for the presidency. It is worth noting that if he eventually runs, the former university lecturer will be seeking an elective seat for the first time in his public service career. Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka said that Matiang'i stands a good chance of being elected the sixth President of Kenya, arguing that President Ruto is beatable at the ballot having made very many mistakes and that two years are not enough for him to remedy the situation. "The field is open for the 2027 Presidential election since Kenyans are very disappointed with the performance of Ruto. Matiang'i is not an angel but a better devil since his track record as a Cabinet Secretary is out there for everyone's scrutiny and I can say he tried his best," said Onyonka. The Kisii Senator said that there was a clamour for the members of the Gusii community to have their own political party and that if Matiang'i forms his own party or gets a chance in an existing party, the community is ready to rally behind him to the last man. Onyonka said that Matiang'i can galvanise the Gusii community since he had already made a name for himself across the country where he is known as a hard worker who is keen on delivering results in any project that he has embarked on and that as a community they are proud to sell him to the rest of the country. He said that the reason why they are advocating for the community to have its own party is to make sure that more than a million votes and almost 20 MPs are valued whenever those in power are making crucial decisions. "The clamour for the Gusii community to have its own political party is at a fever pitch since we have the numbers that count and it is unfortunate that communities that have fewer numbers than ours are benefitting more from the government than us," said Onyonka. Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni said the emerging trend in Kenya's politics is for coalitions based on one's support base and that the Gusii nation should not be left behind whenever the national cake is being shared since they equally deserve to get a sizeable share. "The first thing that Matiang'i should do is engage with the community and its political leaders so that we can decide the way forward. Nobody can dispute that he has performed well during his time in the Cabinet but he needs to sell his agenda to the community and its leadership," said Omogeni. Gusii Parliamentary Caucus Chairman Joash Nyamoko said the Gusii community at the moment "does not have political value" despite having more than one million votes since it is not united and cohesive enough to attract other Kenyans to seek partnership with them. The North Mugirango MP said that for Matiang'i to make a meaningful political mark, he needs the backing of political leaders and that he needs to engage them before making any decision saying 2025 is crucial in shaping the political destiny of the country and the Gusii community needs to unite. Leaders of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Party say they are keen to shade the tag of being a Gusii region-only party and acquire a national image. The party leader, Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo, said the National Governing Council had made a decision that some of the party positions should be distributed to members from other parts of the country to have a national outlook. "The United Progressive Alliance National Governing Council is working towards ensuring that we have 26 new party offices across the country by July this year. We are also planning to distribute some of the senior party positions to members from other parts of the country," said Nyaribo. Party Secretary General Jacob Bagaka, who is the Kisii County Assembly Deputy Speaker, said Matiang'i is the only leader capable of offering alternative leadership that Kenyans are craving and should be supported by all Kenyans. UPA National Chairman, Rigoma Ward MCA Nyambega Gisesa, said the party will rally behind Matiang'i as their presidential candidate "since he has already distinguished himself as a great servant of Kenyans in the previous positions he has held". Gisesa said UPA participated in an election for the very first time in 2022, winning one governor's seat, one MP and 18 members of the County Assembly (MCA) slots. He said the party is planning to rebrand to have a national outlook as it prepares to field Matiang'i as its presidential candidate. "I think Matiang'i is a stronger candidate than Nyachae was in 2002 due to the different political times. I would like to assure you that Matiang'i is going to benefit greatly from the Gen Z vote and Kenyans who consider the integrity of the leaders they elect," said Gisesa. Matiang'i has maintained a low profile after Police Officers raided his Karen home while he was out of the country in 2022. He later presented himself before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations after which he left the country for the United States. He was recently spotted interacting with market traders in Kitui County after condoling with the family of his longtime bodyguard who died last year. Matiang'i had not attended the funeral because the bodyguard died when the former CS was in the United States. Matiangi's appearance in public last month after a long absence elicited mixed reactions among Kenyans on social media with calls for him to vie for the presidency in 2027. He has maintained his silence on the matter, with only his allies campaigning for him. The former Cabinet Secretary would a few days later host his former boss, Uhuru, and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka among other friends and relatives during his daughter's wedding. Political risk analyst Dismas Mokua said that Matiang'i technically meets the Constitutional requirements to run for president but will need to clear his name on matters around respect for court orders, and corruption allegations and State his position on the rule of law and order. Mokua noted that the Gusii voted as a block when Nyachae ran for President but the community has since moved on, with the probability of one candidate or political party marshalling the community to vote as a block being difficult at the moment. "No politician has demonstrated the capacity to persuade the Gusii nation to vote as a block with the exit of Mzee Nyachae. His word at some stage was as good as law however his power base was eventually compromised when he lost the parliamentary election in 2007. No force like him has since emerged," said Mokua. He said that is why there is no single dominant political party or personality in Kisii with a good number of elected leaders having latent presidential interests. Mokua said Matiang'i will need to align individual and community interests before he can emerge as the only political force in Kisii who can serve pleasure and inflict pain in the political space. "There are as many political parties associated with Kisii politicians as there are grains of sand in the Indian Ocean. This is a statement to the liberal nature of the Kisii nation and politicians' aspirations," said Mokua.

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