Uhuru is not your ladder to power, Gusii leaders tell Matiang’i

UDA-affiliated leaders from the Gusii region on Sunday launched a scathing attack on former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i, warning him against anchoring his presidential ambitions on retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, whom they said no longer wields the political clout to influence national succession politics.

Speaking during a charged church service at Nyansakia village in Kegogi, Kitutu Chache North Constituency, the leaders told Dr Matiang’i that tying his political future to Mr Kenyatta was a “doomed gamble” that would lead to a humiliating defeat in 2027.

The leaders argued that the former president failed to secure victory for ODM leader Raila Odinga in the 2022 General Election and therefore lacks the muscle to propel any other candidate to State House.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and President William Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet led the gathering, which also drew several elected leaders from the region.

Those in attendance included South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro, Kitutu Chache North MP Japheth Nyakundi, Nyamira Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi and Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Aburi, all of whom publicly reaffirmed their loyalty to President Ruto, signalling a deepening political realignment in the Gusii region.

Speaker after speaker dismissed Dr Matiang’i as a political lightweight lacking national appeal, insisting he has failed to build a countrywide support base capable of challenging President Ruto.

“Tell your son to stop daydreaming about State House,” Taita MP John Bwire said, in a pointed remark widely interpreted as directed at Dr Matiang’i’s supporters. “If Uhuru Kenyatta could not make Raila Odinga president in 2022, what makes anyone think he can crown Dr Matiang’i?”

Mr Bwire said President Ruto’s development agenda and firm political grip had already sealed his second term, leaving little room for would-be challengers.

He further revealed that leaders from the Coast region, including former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, had previously explored the possibility of fielding a presidential candidate but later abandoned the plan.

“We sat with the likes of Hassan Joho and wanted to challenge Dr Ruto, but we realised it was not easy,” Mr Bwire said. “We therefore agreed to rally behind the President until 2032.”

In a thinly veiled jab at the opposition, he added: “The person misleading your son today is the same person who lied to the late Raila Odinga.”

Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe urged Dr Matiang’i to abandon any 2027 ambitions and instead pursue a working relationship with President Ruto, cautioning that Kenyan politics is unforgiving to candidates confined to regional support.

He cited the 2002 General Election loss by the late Simeon Nyachae, who failed to clinch the presidency despite commanding strong backing in Gusii.

Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse was even more blunt, dismissing the idea that Dr Matiang’i could mount a serious challenge on the strength of the Gusii vote alone.

“You listen to the radio and watch TV—you can see where the country is headed,” Mutuse said. “Nearly everyone is supporting President Ruto. Even if you vote for your own to the last man, can you really win with those votes alone?”

The political attacks extended to the opposition as Mr Kibet criticised Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, branding him a tribalist and describing his impeachment as Deputy President as “the best thing that ever happened to the country.”

Education CS Julius Ogamba used the platform to rally the Gusii community behind the Kenya Kwanza administration, calling for unwavering support for President Ruto’s leadership and development agenda.