NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi lawyer Danstan Omari has delivered a blunt political message to Presidential Aspirant Fred Matiang’i: abandon the 2027 presidential race and back President William Ruto.
Omari argued that Matiang’i no longer has the political machinery or national support needed to mount a winning presidential campaign, saying his influence had dwindled since leaving government.
The lawyer also claimed that former President Uhuru Kenyatta had shifted his political support away from Matiang’i and towards Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi movement.
“Ukweli ni kwamba Rais Mstaafu Uhuru Kenyatta ametoka kwa Matiang’i, na sasa ako kwa upande wa Edwin Sifuna. Tusidanganyane, Matiang’i yuko pweke,” Omari said.
Omari: Matiang’i has lost national political muscle
According to Omari, Matiang’i had once presented himself as a national political figure but had since struggled to demonstrate the nationwide following required for a presidential campaign.
“Nguvu alizokuwa nazo za kutembea taifa lote haziko. Nguvu zake za kisiasa zimeisha,” he said.
Omari challenged Matiang’i and other presidential hopefuls from the Gusii community to prove their popularity outside the region.
“Show me even one single rally the two have called outside Kisii land that has attracted a population of over 500 people. Who will vote for them?” he asked.
He said presidential elections could not be won through regional popularity alone.
“Politics is mobilisation. Have they mobilised? They are not mobilising. Politics is having supporters around you. Who are their key supporters, nationally?” Omari posed.
The lawyer said his assessment had convinced him that Matiang’i had little chance of winning the presidency without a broad national coalition.
“I’ve looked. I’ve assessed. Dr. Matiang’i has nowhere to go. He started as a national political leader. He has returned to the village,” Omari said.
Omari questions Maraga’s chances
Omari also cast doubt on the presidential ambitions of retired Chief Justice David Maraga, another leading Gusii figure.
He argued that the community did not have sufficient numbers to independently produce a president and would therefore need to forge alliances with other communities.
“You cannot be president by only campaigning in Kisii,” he said.
Omari pointed to the constitutional requirements for winning the presidency, saying a candidate must secure more than half of the national vote and meet the required county threshold.
He argued that neither Matiang’i nor Maraga could achieve that target by relying solely on Gusii support.
‘Matiang’i was my client’
Omari acknowledged that his current position was a departure from his previous relationship with Matiang’i.
He recalled representing the former CS when he faced arrest and said he had sought the intervention of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“Dr. Fred Matiang’i was my client. Everybody knows when he was being arrested, I defended him,” Omari said.
“But do I protect him now? I don’t.”
The lawyer said he was now supporting Ruto, citing his personal relationship with the President.
“Dr. William Ruto is my client. I represented him in a children’s matter. He’s a personal friend, and I’ve worked with him,” he said.
Omari said he was backing Ruto’s bid for a second term and urged Gusii leaders to reconsider an independent presidential campaign.
Omari proposes Ruto alliance
He called on Matiang’i, Maraga and South Mugirango MP Steve Mogaka to work with Ruto, arguing that an alliance with the President would give the Gusii community a stronger political stake in the next government.
“I am telling the Gusii community that we cannot purport to contest for national elections without other communities. We must look at our possibilities. Do we have the numbers for national politics? We don’t,” Omari said.
Matiang’i has emerged as one of the figures being discussed in opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 General Election, with his supporters positioning him as a potential challenger to Ruto.
