MATIANG’I LINKS RUTO ADMINISTRATION TO GOON MOBILIZATION AHEAD OF HOMABAY RALLY Nairobi.

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has accused President William Ruto and his administration of using violence as a political tool, alleging that the President was aware of plans to mobilise goons ahead of the Linda Mwananchi political rallies in Homa Bay on Sunday.

Speaking to the media on Monday, August 17, 2026, the Jubilee Party Deputy Party Leader and presidential aspirant said the scale of the violence that disrupted the opposition movement’s activities could not have occurred without the knowledge of the country’s top security leadership.

“It is now abundantly clear that the President and his government have chosen violence as a weapon for political survival and engagement,” Matiang’i said.

Drawing on his experience as a former Cabinet Secretary for Interior, he argued that the President receives regular executive intelligence briefings regardless of his location. “I cannot see how the scale of violence in Homa Bay and the activity that happened there could have happened without the knowledge of the National Security Council, and without the knowledge especially of the President,” he stated. “There’s no way that scale of work could happen without the knowledge of the president, because the president is briefed regularly when these decisions are happening.”

Matiang’i  accused the state of interfering with the opposition’s digital platforms. “The state has begun a new wave of digital terrorism against opposition leaders. They are accessing the social media pages of opposition leaders and jamming our internet during political rallies,” he said.

Matiang’i also linked the Homa Bay clashes to a broader pattern of political violence over the weekend and recent weeks. He cited the stoning of vehicles belonging to his own team in Mulot, attacks on opposition leaders in Nakuru, and incidents in Salgaa, saying these pointed to coordinated activity rather than isolated local disputes.

In Homa Bay on August 16, the Linda Mwananchi convoy faced roadblocks of stones, logs and burning tyres, stone-throwing, confrontations that prompted police to use teargas, and assaults that left journalists injured and equipment destroyed. Vehicles were vandalised and at least one media vehicle was set ablaze as the group attempted to hold meetings in Nyandiwa, Sindo and Homa Bay Town.

The former Interior minister questioned why political groups should be blocked from campaigning in areas where they seek support. “If Linda Mwananchi was going to Homa Bay to have a rally, they were not carrying away the residents of Homa Bay. They were coming to talk to the residents of Homa Bay and go away,” he said, insisting Kenyans should be free to hear competing messages and decide for themselves.

Matiang’i warned that the country was “destroying” itself through politics of violence and goonism, adding that Kenya had begun “our descent into chaos” with the government choosing that path. He maintained that large-scale political goonism cannot take place without the knowledge of the President.

The remarks come amid rising political tensions ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition figures repeatedly accusing the government of sponsoring or tolerating hired groups to disrupt their activities. Government officials have previously denied such claims and stated that security agencies will act against anyone involved in political violence.

No immediate response from State House or the Interior Ministry to Matiang’i’s specific allegations was available at the time of publication. Police have said investigations into the Homa Bay incidents are ongoing.