‘He’s Not Jesus Christ But Accountable!’ – Senator Onyonka Defends Matiang’i’s Stained History
Fred Matiang’i’s quest to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 General Elections has been viewed critically throughout history.
Matiang’i, whose most recent public service position was as Cabinet Secretary for Interior, has been chastised for his soiled tenure, which included allegations of human rights violations and other injustices.
During his reign, there were reports of extrajudicial murders, with many bodies discovered in the River Yala and the state suspected of organizing the deaths.
As Matiang’i’s dirty history haunts him, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, a key figure in his Presidential campaign, has stated that the former CS is innocent until he is charged and found guilty in court.
“It is Matiang’i’s responsibility to be accountable, answerable and he will be explaining to Kenyans why those things happened if they did happen,” Onyonka told NTV’s Fixing the Nation programme on Monday.
Senator Onyonka: Miguna's deportation and other issues should not disqualify Fred Matiang'i from running for president, unless we are looking for an angel or Jesus Christ to come and save us.#FixingTheNationNTV @NationFmKE @MariamBishar @EricLatiff @OfficialJMbugua pic.twitter.com/GBcTGxP5uB
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) May 5, 2025
According to Onyonka, the allegations against Matiang’i should not exclude him from the presidency, given other successful politicians, including US President Donald Trump, have been convicted.
“Show me one of the guys running for president who has better records….worse records,” said the Kisii Senator.
“They are nearly all the same….thugs, crooks. I am not justifying Fred’s behaviour, what I am saying is we must methodically understand that we do not have angels.”
“We must stop this issue of pontificating and carrying an attitude as if we are looking for Jesus Christ who is gonna come and save everybody in the world,” he added.
Onyonka further stated that, while contaminated, Matiang’i’s’sins’ are not as serious as those of current President Ruto.
Senator Richard Onyonka: Raila has played a role that cannot be erased. But a good player must know when to leave the dance floor.
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) May 5, 2025
Onyoka, an ODM legislator, defends his decision to work with former Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang'i, faulting Raila's decision to team up with… pic.twitter.com/8oxHtWUTqD
“Take the two if you think they are both criminals and judge them fairly . If you look at the ‘crimes’ of Ruto and Matiang’i, Matiang’i is 10%,” he said.
Another dark past haunting Matiang’I is the expulsion of lawyer Miguna Miguna following Raila Odinga’s swearing-in as ‘people’s president’ in 2018.
“He mishandled Miguna’s scenario. Miguna deserves an apology from him,” Onyonka said on the deportation that was declared illegal by the courts.
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“It is important for him to explain the circumstances under which those decisions were made.”
During this time, Matiang’i, as the Interior CS, issued orders to shut down TV stations that broadcast the faux swearing-in.
The January 2018 event, in which NTV, KTN, and Citizen TV were shut down, portrayed Matiang’i as an adversary of press freedom.
Matiang’i also has a corruption case against him, where the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) named him as a person of interest in a Ksh.1.5 billion Ruaraka land scandal.
‘He’s Not Jesus Christ But Accountable!’ – Senator Onyonka Defends Matiang’i’s Stained History
