Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s anticipated tour of Mt Kenya has been cancelled, with organisers citing fears of planned chaos and a need to honour victims of recent protests.
Addressing a press conference, PNU party leader and rally host Peter Munya claimed there was a calculated scheme to disrupt the rally by deploying hired goons. He alleged that the aim was to tarnish both Matiang’i’s image and that of the PNU party.
“We have deep intelligence in the government, and we know what is going on. We have been told that there is a plot to deploy goons in our meetings to cause destruction and then blame it on people who attend our meetings, so that they can destroy Matiang’i and the party’s name,” Munya stated.
He added that, beyond the security threats, the party had also resolved to postpone the meetings out of respect for the Kenyans who died during recent anti-government demonstrations.
“We’ve chosen to postpone the meeting out of respect for those who lost loved ones during the demonstrations. We still plan to hold it, but only when the time is right,” he added.
Munya noted that local leaders in Meru had made preparations to welcome the former CS, who is reportedly laying the groundwork for a 2027 presidential bid. Matiang’i was also expected to continue his tour in neighbouring Narok County.
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The Kenya Social Congress Meru County branch had earlier expressed enthusiasm about his visit and urged him to present his agenda to the region.
“We are welcoming our leader and friend Fred Matiang’i here in Meru so that he can sell his agenda to us, and convince us to vote for him in 2027. We know there are other malicious leaders paying goons to disrupt such rallies, we would like to warn them to refrain from such,” a party member said prior to the postponement.
Munya went on to accuse the government of orchestrating the chaos in a bid to blame the opposition.
“The deployment of goons is strongly associated with the government because it wants to claim that the opposition is sending these goons, but the citizens know the truth,” he said.
The cancellation follows a recent incident in Bungoma County where opposition leaders, including Matiang’i, Governor Natembeya, and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, were stoned during a rally. Their convoy was hijacked on its way to Kitale via Chwele, forcing the leaders to flee for safety.
A new date for the Mt Kenya tour is yet to be announced.
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