A Fred Matiang’i Presidency Would Be Kenya’s Worst Gamble — Justice Maraga Offers a Brighter Path

By Fred Allan Nyankuru. 

Kenya today stands at a pivotal crossroads. The citizens are disillusioned by broken promises, battered by a harsh economy, and betrayed by leaders who treat power as an entitlement rather than a sacred duty. In this moment of deep national pain, the temptation to grasp at any “strong” alternative is understandable. But it is precisely now that we must think with our heads, not just our hearts.

A Fred Matiang’i presidency would not be the change Kenya needs. It would be the final nail in the coffin of our dreams for true democracy and justice.

The Spectre of Death, Suffering, and Brutality

Dr. Fred Matiang’i’s record as Interior Cabinet Secretary paints a chilling picture. His reign was marred by high-handedness, brutal policing, enforced disappearances, and widespread human rights abuses. Under his watch, the security forces became feared instruments of repression rather than protectors of the people.

Imagine, then, what a Matiang’i presidency would unleash. It would formalize state violence. It would institutionalize fear. A Kenya under Matiang’i would be a Kenya where protest is crushed, dissent is criminalized, and citizens live under the constant threat of the night knock on the door. We do not need to guess. The evidence is already written in blood and tears.

The Return of the Uhuru Kenyatta Economic Plunder

Even more worrying is the fact that Matiang’i remains deeply entangled with the same political and business elites who looted Kenya’s economy during the Uhuru Kenyatta years. The ballooning debt; The white elephant projects; The capture of critical institutions; The entrenchment of elite cartels.

Matiang’i was no innocent bystander. He was a chief enforcer for that regime, ensuring that critics were silenced while systemic theft continued unchallenged. If elected, Matiang’i would be nothing more than a proxy, a trojan horse smuggling back the same corrupt forces that hollowed out Kenya’s future.

We must ask ourselves: Why are the tycoons and political oligarchs so eager to back him? Because they see in him not a leader of change, but a protector of their criminal legacy.

What Kenya urgently requires today is not another strongman with a clenched fist, but a steady, principled, and moral hand to guide the nation back from the brink. In this regard, former Chief Justice David Kenani Maraga stands out as a far more promising figure. Justice Maraga is not perfect—no leader is—but he embodies qualities Kenya desperately needs:

Respect for the Constitution and the Rule of Law: As Chief Justice, he defended judicial independence with courage, even when it meant standing against the most powerful forces in the land—which included Dr Fred Matiang’i.

Moral Integrity: Maraga’s reputation for personal honesty and public accountability remains intact, untouched by the stench of corruption that engulfs so many others.

Calm and Controlled Leadership: In an era of noisy and chaotic politics, Maraga offers a cool, thoughtful, and steady presence—a rare and precious commodity.

Courage Under Pressure: Few can forget the historic moment when Maraga’s Supreme Court nullified a presidential election—an act of bravery and fidelity to the law unmatched in Africa’s judicial history.

Kenya needs healing. Kenya needs reconciliation. Kenya needs leadership rooted in conscience, not coercion.

We Must Not Gamble With Our Future

Electing Fred Matiang’i would not be boldness—it would be recklessness. It would not be wisdom—it would be folly. It would be choosing death over life, fear over freedom, and tyranny over hope. It would be an open invitation for the corrupt past to reclaim the future. We must be wise enough to reject easy slogans of “strength” and “decisiveness” when they come wrapped in the rags of repression and economic betrayal.

Our next election cycle must not just be about replacing faces. It must be about replacing philosophies. Replacing impunity with accountability. Replacing fear with freedom. Replacing theft with stewardship.

Fred Matiang’i symbolizes the worst of our political past: brutality, impunity, and betrayal. Justice Maraga offers a glimpse of a better future: justice, fairness, and true constitutionalism.

Kenya must choose hope over horror. Healing over hurting. Wisdom over wrath. We must not allow anger at Ruto to blind us into crowning Matiang’i. We must not trade one nightmare for another. We must demand better. We must be better. The cost of getting it wrong now is simply too high.