Matiang’i defends role in Ruaraka land saga, says facts were distorted
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, April 29, 2026Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i has defended himself over the handling of the controversial compensation for the Ruaraka school land, saying the facts have been twisted for political purposes.
Responding to an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Matiang’i insisted the matter was definitively resolved by the court six years ago, warning against revisiting the issue in a deceiving way, saying this would only lead to confusion and politicisation of a legal matter.
“Let us not confuse people on account of politics. The court decided this matter six years ago in court,” Matiang’i said, stressing that the process was followed and a decision made.
Matiang’i, who is angling himself to become the country’s next president, said the matter concerned the National Land Commission (NLC) and some people who claimed to own the land on which Ruaraka High School and Drive-In Primary School are located. He said the role of the Ministry of Education was procedural.
“The only thing the Ministry of Education did was to confirm the public interest. The only question that the NLC asked us was whether there is public interest in the school,” he added.
In restating that the compensation process was not initiated or overseen by the Ministry of Education, in which he was the cabinet secretary, Matiang’i dispelled accusations of misconduct, emphasising that land ownership and compensation issues were the sole preserve of the NLC and were open to judicial scrutiny.
Ruaraka land compensation and public uproar
The Ruaraka land scandal involved a contested piece of land located in Ruaraka, where Ruaraka High School and Drive-In Primary School stand. In 2017, the government, via the NLC, approved payment of billions of shillings to people who claimed to own the land. This compensation outraged the public and led to investigations into its legality, value, and due process.
This issue has subsequently been litigated in courts, scrutinised in parliament and debated in politics, making it one of the most contentious public land compensation cases in Kenya.