Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has urged the United Opposition to stop competing among themselves for the top seat, warning that internal rivalry could hand President William Ruto an advantage in the next government.
Speaking at a meeting on Sunday, February 1, Dr. Matiang’i told his colleagues that jostling for leadership simultaneously was giving Ruto a strategic edge. “He is now laughing and branding us as people who do not have the brains to marshal any support ahead of the next elections,” he noted.
He cautioned that portraying the group as weak or unplanned could backfire. “Please, let us not start infighting that depicts this group as without strategy. You can see already the other side is telling the country how we have no plan or strategy for anything,” Dr. Matiang’i appealed.
At the same time, he questioned President Ruto’s claim to superior planning for the nation. “Why would President Ruto think he has better plans for the country when, in reality, everything is being run down?” he asked, citing corruption, poor education funding, collusion between goons and the police, and other systemic issues as evidence.
Dr. Matiang’i emphasized that the country’s challenges are exacerbated because those currently in power, he argued, are average leaders, leaving the nation vulnerable despite claims of clever leadership. #Matiangi
This is the Fred Matiang’i we have all been waiting for 🔥🔥🔥
10 minutes of watching this will be totally worth it! pic.twitter.com/Jqs6wF8e0o
— Pauline Njoroge (@paulinenjoroge) February 1, 2026