NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i is set to align himself with key opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has revealed.
Speaking at the launch of Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party on Thursday, Onyonka announced that Matiang’i would work alongside Karua, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the upcoming elections.
While Matiang’i is keen on a presidential run, the senator indicated he is open to supporting any candidate the opposition alliance chooses.
“Honourable Fred Matiang’i is finishing his work in the next month, and he will be here to join you. He wishes all of you the best and hopes you will give him the chance to serve as president. But if he does not become the president, he is willing to work with you and support whoever this group picks as the flagbearer,” Onyonka stated.
In his speech, the Kisii senator also launched a scathing attack on President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of failing to address critical issues affecting Kenyans.
He criticized what he described as an overly compliant Parliament, claiming that the majority of lawmakers had been compromised.
“We have a country where now our budget is four trillion, Parliament serves the Executive, and 90 percent of MPs and senators have been bought. That budget should be funding healthcare, but it is dead,” he said.
Onyonka further lamented the state of the education system, arguing that university funding is inadequate and students are struggling with poor living conditions.
The senator also took aim at Ruto’s flagship Affordable Housing programme, alleging it had been turned into a corruption scheme benefiting the president’s allies.
“Instead of the government building where these kids stay, they are constructing projects where the president and his friends supply the cement, grab public land, and profit from construction materials,” he claimed.
He pointed to a discrepancy in government figures, arguing that while officials promised to build 200,000 houses, the Auditor General’s report suggests only 5,000 have been completed.
“The rest, we do not know where they are,” he said.
Onyonka also questioned the transparency of major national assets, particularly Kenya’s ports.
“We have a country where you do not even know who owns the Port of Mombasa or Lamu Port,” he added.
Matiang’i, who has kept a low political profile since leaving government, is yet to publicly confirm his 2027 ambitions.
However, Onyonka’s remarks signal a possible realignment in opposition politics as the race to unseat Ruto gains momentum.
