Matiang’i: Kenya’s crisis rooted in clueless leadership
By William Muthama, July 20, 2025Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has warned that Kenya is “very close to the cliff,” blaming the country’s escalating crisis on leaders he described as ill-prepared and visionless.
Speaking on Sunday, July 20, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland, during an address to Kenyans in the diaspora, Matiang’i said the current administration lacks the basic competence needed to govern.
“That’s why I say there’s nothing wrong with our country except that we elected through a democratic process, incapable leaders,” he stated. “Sometimes you wonder whether they had a plan to govern or they had a plan to do something else.”
Rising anger, waning hope
The former CS said public frustration has reached unprecedented levels, citing widespread protests, economic pain, and growing fear among ordinary citizens.
“I think our country is very close to the cliff and we are facing very, very serious challenges,” he said. “The anger and pain and frustration down below is unprecedented.”
He also warned that criminal networks like Mungiki and Sungusungu are re-emerging due to poor governance and the erosion of state authority.
Excuses, not solutions
Matiang’i criticised the government’s blame-shifting tactics, saying current leaders have failed to offer concrete solutions and instead resort to scapegoating.
“In the first year they blamed Uhuru. The next year it was Raila and Azimio. The third year it’ll be someone else,” he remarked. “This has been essentially a history of excuses.”
He likened the country’s directionless leadership to political theatre, accusing those in power of prioritising image over substance.
He further urged Kenyans to reflect on the kind of leadership they elect, warning that loyalty to incompetent regimes will only worsen the crisis.
“Kenya is not cursed. We just keep trusting the wrong people,” Matiang’i said.
Despite his harsh assessment, Matiang’i urged citizens to remain patriotic and separate national loyalty from blind support for political figures.
“Our country is our only home on earth,” he said. “We have a patriotic duty to always draw a line between country and leaders, because administrations come and go.”