Fred Matiang'i Reveals Why He's Running for Presidency

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i recently engaged with Kenyans in the United States, utilizing what he termed a "listening mission" to discuss the country's situation and his aspirations.

During an event on Saturday evening in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) area, following similar engagements in Atlanta and Texas, Dr. Matiang'i outlined his reasons for seeking the presidency.

Dr. Matiang'i, who served as a cabinet minister for ten years under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, described his tenure as "one of the best times in my life" despite constant crises.

He expressed a deep understanding of Kenya, stating he got to know the country in ways he never knew it before he joined the public service and grew to love its people more through daily interactions.

He criticized the current administration for making excuses, attributing problems to past leaders or specific ethnic groups rather than addressing core issues, stating, "we elected through a democratic process incapable leaders".

"I am here and I am interested in running because I believe that I will have a better management and better coordination of government than what we are seeing,” Dr. Matiang'i explicitly stated.

Leveraging his decade of public service, particularly his last four years coordinating government activities, he asserted that he knows what actually needs to be done.    

He emphasized on a type of government that every Kenyan should seek to put in office in the coming elections.

“Kenyans are not looking for a government to cook a million chapatis for them. They are not looking for a government to make the bed for them or raise the children for them or you know the Kenyans are looking for a government that will do one thing just wake up in the morning go put your ass on the chair and work. That's all.”

“Do your work and don't make excuses. You know, when you are supposed to do the work, don't make excuses and say it's so and so. It's so and so,” he emphasized.

He committed, "I will not make excuses. I will not shack. I will not hide. I will not fudge. I will not bend from responsibility. I will face responsibility head on and do the right thing".    

As part of his emerging platform, Dr. Matiang'i issued a strong call for the Kenyan diaspora to actively participate in the country's electoral process, noting that out of approximately 300,000 Kenyans in the US, only about 10,000 registered to vote in 2022, and fewer than 3,000 actually cast ballots.

He stressed that without participation, citizens can only "whine and dine and complain".

To encourage greater engagement, he announced discussions with the Kenyan mission in the US to propose increasing polling stations from the current three to 10 or 15, and to initiate a process to sensitize Kenyans about the importance of voting. T

his proposal is intended for submission to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IBC), with potential legal action, if necessary, to ensure more Kenyans abroad can vote.