Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has said that the country was heading in the wrong direction amid rising economic hardship and political unrest.
Speaking to a crowd in Thika Town after attending a church service at PCEA Thika on Sunday, June 29, Matiang’i described the moment as a patriotic call to set aside politics for now, recalling that elections were still 28 months away.
The former CS, in addition, urged political leaders to focus on the nation’s stability and the survival of the country.
“Our country is heading in the wrong direction. This is a patriotic moment; wacha tuweke mambo yengi yote kando siasa, we are talking about uchaguzi, and it is 28 months away. Our country must survive first, and let’s have a stable nation before we get there,” Matiang’i said.
“Let us stop talking about elections and focus on the stability of our country and the welfare of our children, tuonge sisi wote pamoja.”
He stressed that acknowledging challenges doesn’t diminish leaders, mistakes happen, and the important thing is to admit them and speak openly about what’s going wrong so the country can correct course together.
“Accepting you have a challenge does not make you less important; it does not take away the power of your office. We are beings; you can make mistakes and things can go wrong and if they have gone wrong, the good thing is to step forward and say, ‘Good people, things are going wrong, can we now speak?’
“It is important we reason together to make sure the country is going in the right direction.”
National dialogue
Showing support for the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ call for a national dialogue to address the issues affecting Kenyans, Matiang’i noted that in times of crisis, the nation often descends into blame games, with people pointing fingers at the wrong targets instead of seeking real solutions.
“Niliona mkutano wa askofu wa katoliki wametoa barua kwa makanisa yao yote. I support it 100 per cent kwamba imefika wakati wa kuweza kuja pamoja, tuone vile tunaweza kusulihisha shida tulizo nazo,” he said.
“Na mimi nawaomba hivi wananchi, wakati shida iko kwa nchi sasa ni rahisi kwa viongozi wa kisiasa wengine kuanza kutugawanya, wengine kutuambia tupigane, wengine kusema ni huyu kutoa lawama hapa na pale. Tusikubali maneno kama hayo.”
Matiang’i on Gen Z’s protest
The former CS further noted that the recent wave of youth-led protests reflects deep-seated frustrations that should not be ignored or suppressed.
He emphasised the need for society to create safe spaces where young people can express themselves freely.
“Let’s encourage ourselves as parents, especially as we raise our children, because the first environment for training is the family and home. In addition to the knowledge we seek to give our children, we must also ensure that we develop deep relationships with them, speak to them, love them, and, most importantly, give them an opportunity to be heard,” Matiang’i said.
“What we are seeing in our country now is a challenge where we are suppressing the voices of our children when, in fact, it should be natural to listen to them when they speak. By failing to do so, we are not nurturing responsible and patient individuals who can move our nation forward.”
