In a fierce political onslaught, presidential hopeful Dr Fred Matiangi and Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka launched a scathing dual attack on the government, alleging deep seated corruption, unsustainable national debt, and democratic regression. 

Speaking during a funeral service in Kegonga, Kuria East constituency, Migori county, where they had traveled to condole with the family of Paul Kibiriti, the opposition leaders used the platform to highlight systemic failures of the national government, signaling a brewing political storm as the country edges closer to the next general elections.

Dr Matiangi opened the onslaught by shifting the focus to international relations and democratic regression, strongly condemning the recent controversial arrest and repatriation of an opposition figure from Kenyan soil to Uganda. 

He warned the charged crowd that the current administration is actively collaborating with neighboring autocratic regimes to usher in an era of oppressive management and dictatorship in East Africa, adding that returning this administration to power would be an endorsement of a dangerous relationship with regimes that actively suppress democratic freedoms.

“If we make a mistake in the coming year and return this administration to power, we are endorsing a dangerous relationship with regimes that actively suppress democratic freedoms,” Matiangi warned.

Compare and contrast

To illustrate this regression, Matiangi drew sharp contrasts with past presidents, noting that previous leaders like Daniel arap Moi maintained strict diplomatic decorum by refusing to cross international borders to hunt down political dissidents.

Matiangi also took deep issue with the skyrocketing cost of education, recalling his own tenure as Education Cabinet Secretary when his administration successfully capped national secondary school fees at Sh53,000 shillings, a stark contrast to the Sh120,000 shillings currently being demanded from struggling parents.

He then demanded total transparency from the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, insisting that the government immediately publish the national mining map so that every Governor and County assembly knows exactly what resources lie beneath their soil and the local community must be the primary beneficiaries rather than letting secret concessions bypass the law.

“If there is gold or rare earth minerals in this region, the local community must be the primary beneficiaries. We will not allow secret concessions that bypass the law,” Matiangi declared.

Lauding Matiangi’s remarks, Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka took the podium to sustain the opposition critique, opening a fierce onslaught on the government’s alleged plan to secretly exploit the country’s natural resources. 

Audit queries

Citing an audit report compiled during the previous administration, Onyonka claimed that land currently under government control sits on highly lucrative rare minerals, alleging that instead of benefiting local citizens, the administration intends to sell these minerals off to America. 

“The message we received from the previous government is clear: they did an audit and discovered that the land under the current administration is rich in rare minerals. Instead of benefiting the local citizens, they want to sell these minerals off to America,” Onyonka alleged

The Senator also turned his sights on the government’s flagship Affordable Housing scheme, characterizing it as an economic trap for the local populace while highlighting that the national debt has plummeted further into crisis by skyrocketing to an astronomical Sh1.2 trillion shillings. 

Onyonka insisted that this massive burden will ultimately be borne by ordinary citizens, even as politically connected suppliers profit off raw materials like steel and cement. 

Collapsed system

The critique grew more systemic as Onyonka outlined the broader collapse of public services, highlighting the failure of funding for free education and the complete disappearance of the Linda Mama maternal healthcare initiative frequent pain points the opposition has continuously cited as proof of the national government’s broken promises. 

More damningly, he alleged that securing employment in the public sector and the military has been completely commodified, claiming that parents are now forced to pay between Sh300,000 and Sh400,000 shillings just for their children to secure entry-level recruitment. 

‘Parents must now pay between Sh300,000 to Sh400,000 shillings just for their children to secure entry level positions in the military,” he stated.

The senator called on the mourning congregation and residents to back a unified opposition.