Matiang’i: Raila’s self-swearing-in was my ultimate test
Former Interior and Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has revealed the day the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga swore himself in as the “People’s President” at Uhuru Park as his real political test.
In an interview on a local TV station on Friday, October 17, 2025, after the requiem mass at Nyayo Stadium, Matiang’i disclosed the January 30, 2018, event as the greatest test of his career as the country’s security chief.
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“When Raila went to swear himself in at Uhuru Park, it was the greatest test for me as the Minister for Security,” Matiang’i said.
“It was a test we passed, because not a single shot was fired despite there being almost 7,000 people in the field.”
Also watch: Matiang’i Recounts Raila’s Act of Loyalty
He noted, however, that it was a test they managed to pass, despite the presence of thousands of supporters at the venue. He revealed that ahead of the ceremony, security chiefs held extensive discussions and agreed that the only way to manage the situation was to ensure no bloodshed.
“We had assured ourselves that it was a test we had to pass. And we did, because no shots were fired,” Matiang’i narrated.
The people’s president
The self-swearing ceremony came just months after Kenya’s disputed 2017 elections.
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta had been sworn in for a second term after winning a repeat poll in October, which Raila boycotted.
The opposition leader, insisting he was the rightful winner of the first annulled election, staged his own symbolic oath-taking at Uhuru Park, complete with thousands of cheering supporters and a Bible in hand.
At the time, the government had warned against the event. Media outlets covering it were briefly shut down.
Reflecting on Raila himself, Matiang’i noted that beyond the political brinkmanship, the ODM leader carried an aura of lightheartedness that defused tension even in difficult times.
“What always amazed me about Raila Odinga was that every time we met, even during difficult moments, there was never a time he failed to laugh or make a light-hearted joke about it,” Matiang’i said.
“There was no hatred between us. For me, it was duty. And for him, politics was never a matter of hatred or blood.”
