Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Sunday sought to explain his conspicuous absence from the first two days of the United Opposition’s high-profile tour of Western.
This comes amid mounting questions over his relationship with key coalition partners and his commitment to the opposition’s joint political activities.
Matiang’i appeared on the final day of the three-day tour in Bungoma county and publicly apologised for missing the earlier rallies.
The Jubilee deputy party leader said he had been forced to attend a funeral following the loss of a close family friend.
“I have apologised privately, but I also need to do it publicly. We were supposed to be here from Friday, but I had a funeral, and I had to rush there,” he said.
“One of our close brothers lost a loved one and we had to go there. I have only found a chance to come here today.”
The former Interior CS spoke during a Holy Mass at St Mary’s Kibabii Catholic Church in Kanduyi constituency, where opposition leaders gathered on the final leg of the regional tour.
On Friday, Matiang’i attended the burial of Rukia Mandari, the wife of former Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, in Nyamira county.
However, his whereabouts on Saturday remained unclear, further fuelling speculation about his absence from the opposition events.
While his explanation may have addressed immediate questions about his no-show, it did little to silence growing concerns about the state of his relationship with other opposition principals.
His absence was particularly noticeable given the significance of the Western Kenya tour, which was intended to demonstrate unity among opposition leaders as they intensify preparations for the 2027 General Election.
Present during the rallies were Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
Notably, no senior official from the Jubilee Party attended the first two days of the tour in Matiang’i’s absence.
At the launch of the opposition’s Western Kenya campaign in Luanda, Vihiga county, Wamalwa attempted to calm speculation by assuring supporters that Matiang’i was on his way.
However, the former Interior CS never showed up.
Political analysts argue that the incident is the latest sign of growing unease within the opposition coalition, where competing ambitions and succession calculations are increasingly threatening the unity leaders have worked hard to project.
“A divided opposition, one that is busy trading barbs and questioning each other’s loyalties, projects weakness and disorganisation to the electorate,” said political analyst Prof Olang Sana of Maseno University.
According to observers, tensions between Matiang’i and sections of the opposition have been simmering for months and have become increasingly difficult to conceal.
Two weeks ago, Gachagua’s DCP publicly distanced itself from political rallies organised by PNU leader Peter Munya and attended by Matiang’i in Meru and Isiolo counties.
DCP national organising secretary Mithika Linturi openly disowned the meetings and urged party supporters to stay away.
Linturi insisted that the events had neither been sanctioned by DCP nor discussed by opposition principals.
The remarks exposed what insiders describe as growing discomfort within Gachagua’s camp over Matiang’i’s independent political engagements and his expanding influence beyond his traditional Gusii political base.
The unease appears to have intensified after the Party of National Unity formally endorsed Matiang’i as its preferred presidential candidate.
That endorsement significantly elevated Matiang’i’s national political profile and positioned him as a serious contender for the opposition ticket, potentially placing him on a collision course with other coalition leaders harbouring similar ambitions.
Although opposition principals have repeatedly insisted that they remain united in their mission to challenge President William Ruto in 2027, recent events suggest that underlying tensions remain unresolved.
The battle has increasingly extended beyond the principals themselves and into the ranks of their allies, strategists and supporters.
On social media, allies of both Matiang’i and Gachagua have been engaging in sustained public exchanges that have exposed deep mistrust between the two camps.
The rivalry became even more visible following the opposition’s disappointing performance in recent by-elections.
Gachagua’s chief social media strategist Kenneth Njohi, popularly known as Councillor Njohi, launched a sharp attack on Jubilee, arguing that the party and DCP could not coexist politically within the Mt Kenya region.
Njohi dismissed Jubilee as a party that no longer represented the interests of the region, remarks that were interpreted by Matiang’i’s supporters as an attempt to limit his political influence outside the Gusii region.
The comments triggered strong reactions from Jubilee loyalists, who accused DCP allies of undermining opposition unity at a critical political moment.
Former Jubilee deputy organising secretary Pauline Njoroge has repeatedly cautioned opposition leaders against internal wrangles.
“Divisions and infighting cannot be part of our journey at this critical stage,” she said.
The hostility has also fuelled claims within sections of the opposition that Matiang’i is pursuing a parallel political strategy independent of the coalition’s collective agenda.
At one point, lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, a close ally of both Kalonzo Musyoka and Gachagua, accused Matiang’i of being a “state project” allegedly intended to weaken the opposition from within.
The explosive allegations represented one of the most direct attacks against Matiang’i by senior opposition figures.
“Matiang’i is a state project. Matiang’i is an NIS project,” Njiru claimed during a television interview.
He further alleged that the former Interior CS had frustrated efforts by opposition leaders to organise political activities in Kisii while independently conducting meetings in other parts of the country.
The accusations widened the gulf between Matiang’i’s supporters and sections of the opposition leadership.
His allies, however, have dismissed the claims, arguing that they are part of a broader effort to frustrate his presidential ambitions and curtail his growing national appeal.
Particularly controversial have been Matiang’i’s recent political activities in the Mt Kenya region.
His closed-door meetings with political leaders, opinion shapers and grassroots mobilisers in Meru, hosted by Munya, reignited speculation that he is quietly building an independent political network in a region traditionally viewed as Gachagua’s political backyard.
The meetings revived longstanding concerns among some opposition figures that Matiang’i could emerge as an alternative centre of power within the coalition.
Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has criticised what he describes as attempts to label political competitors as government projects whenever they challenge Gachagua’s influence.
