President William Ruto is aggressively reorganising Gusii politics by courting defectors, empowering new power brokers and squeezing rivals in what analysts see as a deliberate bid to politically isolate former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on his home turf ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
His strategy involves rewarding defectors, isolating rivals in their strongholds and turning to grassroots arithmetic to build a political firewall. In Kisii and Nyamira counties, Dr Matiang’i commands deep emotional and political capital.
For more than a year, President Ruto has quietly but steadily embedded himself in Gusii politics, working closely with Kisii Governor Simba Arati of ODM while simultaneously strengthening the United Democratic Alliance’s footprint through sitting MPs, defectors and local political brokers.
UDA’s regional anchors now include South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro, Kitutu Chache North MP Japheth Nyakundi - who also serves as the party’s national treasurer - and Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and Principal Secretary of Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Stephen Isaboke, are also part of the grassroots mobilisation team.
Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya Aburi. She has called for the adoption of an alternative rite of passage for girls.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
Their most visible early prize was Kisii Woman Representative Donya Toto, who abandoned Wiper after winning her seat with over 190,000 votes in 2022.
More recently, the ruling party scored another symbolic victory with the defection of Jonah Onkendi, a former Jubilee ally of Matiang’i and runner-up in the last Bonchari parliamentary race.
“I offered my support freely and in good faith to a presidential aspirant I believed in,” Mr Onkendi said, referring to Matiang’i. “Regrettably, that support was neither acknowledged nor valued.”
His exit underscored a growing pattern of frustration among some local politicians who feel sidelined within Dr Matiang’i’s expanding national project - a vulnerability that Ruto’s allies have been quick to exploit.
Several former ODM and Jubilee figures who once orbited Matiang’i’s political space have also crossed over. Kitutu Masaba MP Daniel Manduku, once seen as a key Matiang’i sympathiser, joined the Ruto camp earlier this year. So, did West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka and ODM’s Irene Mayaka.
UDA-nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri has also been at the forefront of the grassroots mobilisation efforts in the Kisii region.
“I have worked with President Ruto since his days as Deputy President,” Ms Okenyuri said. “Through the campaigns we ran together, I earned my current position and I believe there is more we can achieve working with this government.”
Nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri recently said tourism is a significant contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
Behind the scenes, UDA is also courting influential non-elected figures, including former Kisii County secretary Alfred Ong’era, whose networks in Kitutu Chache North remain politically potent. Another key target, Bobasi parliamentary hopeful Wilkins Nyangweso, has so far kept his options open.
“It’s too early to declare party positions,” he said. “Right now, I’m focused on campaigning to become the next Bobasi MP. When the time comes, I will make my decision clear.”
Yet for all the high-profile defections, electoral reality in Kisii has so far resisted the UDA wave.
In November 2025, the ruling party suffered a bruising defeat in three by-elections across Kisii and Nyamira despite heavy mobilisation, campaign financing and national-level attention.
All three seats were swept by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), a regional party backed by Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo and openly aligned with Matiang’i.
In Nyamaiya Ward, Christopher Moturi Osiemo won following the death of his brother, MCA Elijah Osiemo. In Ekerenyo Ward, Jeremiah Ongaro triumphed after the former MCA resigned to become county assembly speaker. And in Nyansiongo Ward, a UPA candidate clinched victory after a court nullified the 2022 results over tallying irregularities.
It is against this backdrop that the Jubilee Party’s deputy leader has gone on the offensive, accusing the Ruto administration of engineering a systematic campaign to politically suffocate him at home.
“They are using intimidation and coercion to make my supporters abandon me,” Dr Matiang’i said in a recent address.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i addresses members of the public at Gusii Stadium, Kisii County on May 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Ruth Mbula | Nation Media Group
He alleged that senior leaders from the region have been approached with offers of parastatal jobs, cash inducements and development threats aimed at forcing public loyalty to the government.
“In the last two months, this government has been approaching every Kisii leader who cares to listen,” he said. “They ask if you will accept money, offer you positions, and demand that you disown me.”
Dr Matiang’i claimed veteran Gusii political figures, including former ministers Sam Ongeri and Chris Obure, had also been targeted, an assertion that underscores how deeply the strategy is allegedly reaching into regional power structures. According to him, constituencies whose leaders resist are quietly warned that roads, schools and development funding could dry up.
“This is about isolating me politically in my own backyard,” he said.
“We are in a political competition. Multi-party democracy is a reality in this country,” he said. “Those who want to campaign with me in Jubilee should be free to do so, without fear, without intimidation.”
He warned that continued pressure risks inflaming public anger in a region that already feels economically marginalised.
“For now, we are urging our supporters to remain calm and respect the law,” he said. “But frustration is growing. If this continues, people will react.” “No government can defeat its own people if it chooses confrontation over decency,” he added.
“We will not relent or step back,” Matiang’i said. “We will run this race to the end — and I believe Kenyans will give us the mandate to fix what is broken in this country.”
Kitutu Chache South Member of Parliament Richard Onyonka.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, one of Dr Matiang’i’s most vocal allies in Parliament, dismissed the overtures from the ruling camp as fundamentally incompatible with his politics, arguing that the struggle in Gusii is no longer just about party labels but about values and the use of public power.
“They should realise that what I stand for is the opposite of what they stand for,” Mr Onyonka said. “I believe in using resources to change lives, but they believe in using public resources to bribe leaders to join their camp.”
He added that his political future remains firmly tied to Matiang’i’s national ambitions. “We are focused on Matiang’i as a national leader and I cannot abandon him. They know I love my job as an opposition senator. I fundamentally disagree with the President on key issues. I cannot serve in government and at the same time oversee that same government. I am happy where I stand - with the people who elected me.”
