Presidential aspirant and Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i has outlined his ambitions and plans to “fix the mess” he says defines President William Ruto’s administration.
Speaking on Wednesday during NTV’s Fixing the Nation morning show, Dr Matiang’i said that beyond introducing people-centred programmes, he would abolish what he considers dysfunctional under the ruling Kenya Kwanza and improve systems that merely require reform.
“If I were to be so blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to run the country as president, the first thing I would do is be very radical: bring discipline to public service and stop some of the programmes. Some of the things we do will actually come to an end,” said the former Cabinet Secretary (CS).
He added: “The only sure thing about life is change and reform. Every generation is called to do new things and approach life differently. Those that require us to approach systems differently, we shall. Populations across the globe are increasingly demanding inclusion in government. The older system of top-bottom management is collapsing.”
The self-styled Mr Fix It said he understands Kenya, its dynamics and its challenges.
On education, Dr Matiang’i argued that the sector has collapsed under the current administration, citing delayed capitation funds that force parents to pay more.
“Close to between 25 and 30 percent of school-going kids would drop out of school if we were not paying capitation funds. Education needs fixing. I honestly think we need free primary and secondary education,” he said.
He pledged to seal corruption loopholes and end wasteful spending that he believes have denied schools essential resources.
“We need to avail more resources to the education sector and end the tragedy of ghost schools. We should sacrifice and manage the level of wastage while channelling resources to education.”
The former Education CS criticised President Ruto’s frequent comparison of Kenya to Singapore, arguing that such aspirations are unrealistic without strengthening education.
“We cannot say that we want to be Singapore when we are not educating our population,” he said, noting that education must be prioritised before other growth-driving sectors.
He also accused the administration of replacing the Uhuru-era Nemis, a system that uniquely identified every learner, with Kemis, simply to enable corrupt tendering.
Dr Matiang’i promised to dismantle what he described as a culture of plunder entrenched in government.
He criticised what he termed a bloated executive, including “truckloads of advisers”.
“Currently, everyone is a big person. I don’t understand why we have the size of government that we have now. Governments in the South are very wasteful.”
As an alternative, he proposed a “results-oriented management” system to ensure efficiency and accountability.
He also criticised the implementation of Universal Health Coverage under the Social Health Authority. While acknowledging the intention behind the reform, he argued that it has failed to reach ordinary citizens.
Referring to the scrapped Linda Mama programme, he said: “On SHA, the jokes we have read about how this thing is being implemented… One section of society is telling us that "we are very intelligent people, we have brought you SHA", yet in the villages people are not benefitting from SHA! That needs fixing.”
Dr Matiang’i further accused the Ruto administration of straining regional diplomacy and promoting transnational repression.
He questioned Kenya’s handling of recent incidents involving its citizens in neighbouring countries.
“Can you see the joke of citizens being arrested and detained in a neighbouring country… Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo? If we are not hobnobbing with criminals in Sudan, we are hobnobbing with rebels in the DRC!”
He cited the abduction and 38-day detention of Njagi and Oyoo in Uganda, which reportedly required former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s intervention.
On natural resources, he advocated full transparency.
“I keep asking, why don’t we publish the entirety of our mineral resources record and take it to Parliament? Why is it a secret at the moment? If government is not psychologically prepared to operate in the sun, then it will be thrown out!”
He described Kenya’s debt burden as the product of irresponsibility and “untidy” contractual agreements by the current and past regimes.
To address this, he pledged a “clean government” and vowed to outlaw public officers from doing business with the State.
“On the debt problem, we will also have to look at the contracts and renegotiate. Licensing is being done under the table by people in government using cronies. That is the madness we need to rein in.”
He added: “I believe that discipline is destiny. If we are not going to run a disciplined government, then we are not going to see an end to the losses.”
The former Interior CS insisted he has “never lived above the law”, defending his record against recurring accusations.
On the River Yala incident, he said investigations were conducted by the National Police Service under its mandate.
“If people are not satisfied with the work of the police, then I support a public inquest. I am willing to go before that public inquest so that we know exactly who bears responsibility,” he said, criticising the current administration for taking no action on the matter.
On the 2018 deportation of lawyer Dr Miguna Miguna, he maintained that the law was clear and that Miguna had lost his Kenyan citizenship, requiring only a simple form to regain it.
He said he consulted several top lawyers, including Governor James Orengo.
“There was no law that I broke by not allowing Dr Miguna to enter the country with an ID only,” he said.
He criticised what he termed widespread ignorance about the issue: “When someone arrives at the airport and wants to enter the country with an ID card… Which law was not followed?”
On the unity of the United Opposition, Dr Matiang’i acknowledged differences among principals but expressed confidence that they would settle on a single candidate, including someone other than himself, provided the selection process is “transparent and scientific”.
Responding to claims that he is not campaigning actively, he said he is barely three months back from Washington, DC, and is laying serious groundwork.
“Style is the man. Every man has his style of doing things,” he said, dismissing the need for rallies or political euphoria before adequate preparation.
“If we were under colonial rule today, I would carry arms. However, I have an opportunity to fix my country. I am, therefore, saying: here I am, send me!”
