Matiang’i reveals how meeting Zambia’s president inspired his 2027 political ambition
Former Interior and Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has narrated how meeting Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema shaped his ideology and inspired his desire to run for President in the 2027 general polls.
Speaking on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at SDA Church, Lavington in Nairobi, when he joined the Adventist Men Organisation (AMO) prayer breakfast, Matiang’i said he had been designated to represent Kenya as a special envoy in early 2022 when Hichilema had won against the incumbent, the late Edgar Lungu.
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“The new President of Zambia, knowing I was an Adventist like him, asked that we meet in his house instead of the office. I flew to Zambia and was cleared by the military at the airport and taken to his house,” he said.
President Hichilema was in the company of two security chiefs when he met Matiang’i, who was also accompanied by two unnamed security bosses.
“He asked me what my favourite hymn was. Then he said that he likes singing it in his mother tongue and that I should do the same. We were wondering if we should ask our entourage to join in the singing, but we decided to let them leave the room,” Matiang’i said.
While seeking support for his presidential bid, the former CS vowed to transform Kenya if elected president in 2027.
President Hichilema and Matiang’i then began singing the hymn ‘He leadeth me’ in their vernacular, making their security teams worried if the two were okay.
“I remember one of Kenya’s security men, from the NIS, kept looking, wondering if these two people were okay as we sang in our respective languages,” he recalled.
The meeting brings together men of faith for a reflection, mentorship, and fellowship- a moment to renew commitment to the values that strengthen both family and nation.
Hichilema factor in Matiang’i’s bid
The former Interior CS said it was after the song session that Hichilema took him for a tour of his house, explaining what he had undergone in the hands of the government as an opposition leader.
“He told me that the windows of his house were all broken down at one time while he was arrested on trumped-up charges. During one of his appearances in court, one of his lawyers was killed. I wondered if it was worthy, it and he (Hichilema) told me that he had to fight for the presidency so that he could do the right thing,” Matiang’i revealed.
Also watch: Kioni backs Matiang’i as best bet against Ruto in 2027.
He asked the church and particularly the youth to stand up and demand accountability by questioning public policies and the conduct of those holding public offices.
“You will hear of a lot of stories, some even maligning members of our families, but that’s the nature of politics. It’s the sacrifice we must make if we have to redeem our countries. Just like the founders of the nation fought for liberation, we must be prepared to sacrifice for the country that we love. We don’t have any other home,” he asserted.
He urged the youth to shun tribalism and vote for leaders based on their track records. “It is only during elections that the issue of this one is Luo, that one Kikuyu, and the other one Kisii, and so forth, come up. We can overcome this and look for diligent leaders.”
