Jubilee Party presidential candidate Fred Matiang'i has accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of arrogance and pride. He said Gachagua's political ambitions could divide the opposition and weaken its chances against President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election. Matiang'i spoke on Sunday in an interview with NTV, The Eastleigh Voice reported.
Matiang'i warned that the opposition could lose focus on issues affecting Kenyans. That would happen, he said, if individual ambitions, ethnic interests and a few politicians came to dominate the coalition. In his view, leadership should be decided by ideas, track records, competence and qualifications, not ethnic mobilisation. "That majoritarian arrogance and that particular pride is precisely what is going to split the opposition," he said.
The former Interior Cabinet Secretary also questioned the claim that anyone could replace the president. He said that view suggests the opposition's only problem with Ruto is that it does not hold the seat itself. He said he would back any candidate chosen through an inclusive, acceptable and respectful process. But he objected to "two or three people frogmarching everybody to a particular corner".
Matiang'i also warned that unity does not guarantee victory. He pointed to Brazil, where he said a united opposition candidate had just lost to an incumbent president. Still, he said the latest credible survey showed that Ruto's only pathway to retaining power is a split opposition.
He also set out his own agenda. Matiang'i pledged to scrap the Housing Levy, saying the tax burden on Kenyans was unsustainable. He said corruption had reached unprecedented levels and must be tackled boldly. He described his plan as a one-term presidency focused on deep change.
On security, Matiang'i said there would be no "goonism" under his government. He argued that letting leaders get away with crime fuels violence. He also promised that foreigners would not be arrested in Kenya and handed over to their governments. He cited the case of Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who was reportedly abducted in Nairobi in November 2024 and taken to Uganda.
No response from Gachagua was included in the reports.