Matiang'i open to negotiate with President Ruto if interests align, says Onyonka

Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka has reiterated his backing for former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i in the 2027 presidential race but adds that the former Uhuru-era CS is open to supporting President William Ruto if their interests align.

Speaking during an event in Kisii, the senator emphasized that Matiang'i plans to engage with all candidates.

He added that if President Ruto delivers effectively by 2026, Matiang'i might consider throwing his support behind him.

"We have decided that as a community and as Kenyans, we are also going to set up our own political party, and we are going to produce our own candidate who will negotiate with the President and all other people who are running for political office, and that candidate is Fred Matiang'i," he stated

Onyonka explained that Kenyan politicians were often driven by the benefits their regions received, making negotiations crucial.

This comes as senior officials from the former ruling coalition, Jubilee, have backed Matiang'i as their preferred flagbearer for the 2027 general elections.

Jubilee's Secretary General, Jeremiah Kioni, who is among those endorsing him, has notably aligned himself with the opposition coalition, which has consistently voiced dissatisfaction with the ruling party.

Matiang'i's presidential ambitions were revealed last year after reports surfaced that the former Interior CS had reportedly procured the services of a global lobbyist group to help steer his presidential bid.

According to the Daily Nation, Matiang'i hired the consultant group that helped deliver victory for Duma Boko, the recently elected Botswana president.

He allegedly signed a contract with the Canadian lobbying firm Dickens & Madson, which is led by former Israeli Mossad agent and controversial lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe.

Matiang’i, who has yet to publicly declare his candidacy for president, apparently wants the firm to prop up his candidature by lobbying influential agencies in Kenya, the US, and foreign governments to boost his image internationally and raise funds for his campaigns.

On January 27, Onyonka disclosed that Matiang’i would soon be stepping down from his role at the World Bank and return to Kenya to deliberate on his next steps.