Fred Matiang’i has strode the country like a colossus for nine years that he has served retired President Uhuru Kenyatta as Cabinet Secretary.
He earned his place in Uhuru’s inner circle as the ex-President’s ‘Mr. Fix it’, becoming a key pillar of the Jubilee administration.
The ex-CS would later in the retired President’s second term literally elbow then-Deputy President William Ruto from the heart of state power.
Uhuru then rewarded Matiang’i’s loyalty with a larger than life portfolio, naming him the chairperson of the influential cabinet committee that oversaw all development projects.
The appointment which had a sweeping and cross-cutting mandate to supervise colleagues in cabinet handed Matiang’i more powers but set him on a collision path with Ruto.
Through an Executive Order, Matiang’i was also given the power to chair a committee of all Cabinet secretaries in his role of coordinating Government projects.
The membership of the committee included all Cabinet secretaries, Head of the Public Service and Attorney General.
For the first time, in the country’s history, the President handed a minister expansive responsibilities in 2018.
This also meant that MPs would no longer be trooping to Ruto’s office to lobby for development projects.
This was, however, the beginning of the drift between Ruto and Uhuru and also the ‘enemity ‘ between him and Matiang’i.
MPs allied to Ruto then protested that the deputy president had been sidelined and had some of his duties handed over to Matiang’i.
It remained unclear how the two would relate going forward.
As years went by, Matiang’i was seen as Uhuru’s right-hand man while Ruto appeared to be relegated to the periphery.
Matiang’i even accompanied and received the former Head of State in various occasions, demonstrating how powerful he was.
Fast forward past Uhuru’s regime, Matiang’i has now become a ‘ wanted man’.
He has found it rough, with investigating agencies pursuing him.
There are reports that he could have fled the country.
On February 8, 2023, it was alleged that a group of elite police officers had surrounded the home of the former Interior CS in Karen, Nairobi.
The reason behind the sudden raid remained unclear.
Opposition Chief Raila Odinga was among the first leaders to arrive at the home, protesting the alleged raid.
The Former CS said he had learned of the planned raid earlier in the day.
Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, who approves charges before a suspect is arrested, said he has no active file on the former Cabinet Secretary.
“This is drama. There is nothing in existence [active investigation] and people shouldn’t dramatise issues. And if there is any, nobody is above the law,” Haji said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki also dismissed the allegations of police raiding his predecessor’s home as “utterly false”.
A week later, police raided Matiang’i home and carted away a server of the CCTV camera.
They broke doors at the home as they ransacked it for the CCTV footage, a raid which was later confirmed by the government.
DCI Mohamed Amin said then they had made significant progress in the ongoing investigations surrounding allegations of a raid in the home of the former Cabinet Secretary on the night of Wednesday, February 8 2022.
The DCI summoned him last week, saying they wanted him to record a statement on February 22 which was later postoponed to 23rd.
Justice Jairus Ngaah issued the orders stopping the DCI from harassing or summoning the lawyer over the issue. He said the case will be mentioned on March 8.
In response to the summon, Matiang’i said he will not be available for questioning by the DCI since he was out of the country.
The Immigration Department Tuesday revealed details of when former Interior CS Fred Matiangi left the country.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has launched investigations into how Matiang’i made his wealth.
The EACC has written to the Head of the Civil Service Felix Koskei asking to be availed with wealth declaration forms Matiang’i submitted when he was sworn in as CS in 2013.
In a a letter dated February 27, 2023, the EACC said they were pursuing the matter based on Section 30(1)(4)(b) of the Public Officers Ethics Act.
“The Commission wishes to request for Certified Copies of Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities forms for years 2012 to 2022, including the initial and final declarations,” the reads the letter in part.
