Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has condemned what he described as unprecedented abuse of state power and misuse of public resources during the by-elections.

Speaking at the burial of Lenny Kivuti’s mother in Embu on Saturday, November 29, 2025, Matiangi criticised the scale of the campaign and the behaviour of some leaders, saying it was far removed from the vision of the country’s founders.

“Yale mambo tumeona wiki hii ni ajabu. Ile vita tumepigana, ward ni village mbili. Watu wanaingia huko na mandege, madoido, arrogance, kutoa pesa kujigamba ati sisi ndio serikali. Hakuna kitu mtafanya. The founders of this nation must be turning in their graves to see what we are seeing now. Unprecedented abuse of state power, incredible misuse of public resources, and arrogance,” Matiangi said.

He praised citizens of Mbeere North for standing firm during the by-election and acknowledged opposition leaders, including Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa, and George Natembeya, for their role in defending democratic principles.

Rising political abuse

Matiangi warned that if the current political trends continued, Kenya risked heading in the wrong direction. He described the emerging politics as divisive, focused on personal gain, and a threat to the nation.

“Hii siasa ni siasa ya kubomoa nchi. Mambo ya kiburi, kubeba mali ya serikali, pesa ya umma. Kujipiga kifua hapa kwa viongozi, kudharau maoni ya wananchi. Na kura za wananchi, ili sasa wewe uwe na nia yako. You have your way, whatever it takes,” he said.

The warning followed claims by former Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, who said the Mbeere North campaign had cost the government Ksh600 million. Linturi said he had witnessed the deployment of 16 helicopters, Air Force resources, and military vehicles during the campaign.

“Kuja kupigana kutafuta kiti ya mbunge. 600 million has been spent kutafuta kiti ya MP. In normal circumstances, sababu nimeomba kura, we spend around 10 million. Kutafuta kiti ya whole constituency. 600 million means 60 members of parliament. Ile pesa imetumika hapa Mbeere North,” Linturi said.