Matiang’i defends Uhuru amid debate on former Presidents’ benefits
By Aloys Michael, May 4, 2026Jubilee Deputy Party leader Fred Matiang’i has come out in defence of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, amid rising political tensions triggered by a fresh push from allies of President William Ruto to review or withdraw retirement benefits enjoyed by former heads of state.
The debate has intensified after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei filed a motion in the Senate seeking to stop, reduce, or fully reallocate the benefits accorded to Uhuru.
The proposal calls for a full audit of public resources allocated to the former president and suggests that any recovered funds be redirected to public welfare programs.
At the same time, political temperatures rose further after Uhuru publicly endorsed Matiang’i for the presidency during a phone-in address to Jubilee Party members in Narok, reigniting debate over his continued political influence despite retiring from office.
Speaking during a Monday, May 4, 2026, press briefing, Matiang’i defended Uhuru’s constitutional rights and strongly criticised what he termed as “political pettiness” from some leaders targeting the former president.
“Time in life, you hope that in a serious country like ours, there are things you do not need to spend time on,” Matiang’i said, referring to the ongoing debate over retired presidents’ entitlements.
He added that Kenya should not be an exception in respecting former heads of state, citing examples of other African nations.
“Nigeria, Tanzania, Botswana, Mozambique, there are quite many retired presidents across Africa. We must not trivialise this matter,” he noted.
Matiang’i also defended Uhuru’s continued political participation, insisting that his involvement remains lawful.
“We chose democracy. We know that our current president and his team did not support this constitution, but this will to protect it provides an opportunity for all of us to respect freedom of expression and association,” he said.
“Our party leader is going nowhere, and our party leader will continue to express himself. It is his constitutional right.”
Call for political decency
Matiang’i further condemned what he described as escalating insults and disrespect directed at Uhuru Kenyatta by some politicians aligned to the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“The kind of behaviour we have seen from elected leaders is shocking. We must uphold decent dissent. We can have differences, but we must be decent about it,” he said.
He warned against the normalisation of abusive political language, adding that even Jubilee Party members should refrain from retaliatory attacks.
“Even the language that is being used by some of these leaders in reference to President Kenyatta is shocking. We have said this before, we will not encourage our members to use such language against President William Ruto. It is indecent and unbecoming. We are building a society that respects democratic principles,” Matiang’i warned.
Senator Cherargei’s motion has added fuel to the already heated political environment. The proposal seeks parliamentary approval to revoke or vary budgetary allocations linked to Uhuru Kenyatta’s retirement package.
“Any funds recovered from benefits previously accorded to the retired President shall be redirected to serve the interests and welfare of the people of Kenya,” part of the motion reads.
It further proposes that the Auditor General conduct a full audit of the former president’s benefits within 60 days and submit findings to Parliament for consideration.
Supporters of the motion argue it promotes fiscal accountability, while critics view it as politically motivated and targeted at undermining Uhuru’s legacy and influence.