NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i is expected back in Kenya within three weeks after formally resigning from his position at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Multiple sources close to the former CS confirmed he handed over his duties on May 30 and is now free to resume his political activities ahead of the 2027 general election.
“His work at the World Bank is done, and he has resigned. We expect the CS back in Kenya anytime now, and definitely by June 21,” said a senior figure familiar with Matiang’i’s plans.
Matiang’i, a key figure during the Kenyatta administration, left Kenya on May 18 to conclude his assignment at the World Bank, where he has worked since September 2022.
His return comes barely a month after he declared his intention to run for president in 2027 during a rally at Gusii Stadium.
“I am ready to be President of Kenya,” Matiang’i told supporters on May 2, saying he had heeded calls to come back and serve the country.
He pledged to respectfully resign from his international role before resuming his campaign—an approach later endorsed by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“I want to ask the people of Kisii to give Matiang’i an opportunity to go back to Washington to hand over,” Gachagua said during a May 12 radio interview. “It would be bad manners for him to just leave the job without resigning.”
Matiang’i’s exit from the World Bank signals a full political comeback amid Jubilee Party’s aggressive rebranding efforts to position him as a leading contender.
His recent alignment with the opposition faction led by Gachagua has also stirred fresh dynamics in the 2027 succession race.
His return is expected to inject new energy into the presidential contest, especially in the Mount Kenya and Gusii regions, where he enjoys significant political support.
