Matiang’i to Ruto: You have once again misread mood of the country
By Aloys Michael, February 22, 2026Jubilee Deputy Party leader Fred Matiang’i has criticised President William Ruto, accusing him of misreading the national mood amid growing political tension and public anger over recent security crackdowns.
Speaking on Sunday, February 22, 2026, during a church service in Utawala, Nairobi, on Sunday, Matiang’i said the Kenya Kwanza administration was ignoring clear signs of public dissatisfaction, warning that continued heavy-handedness could further alienate citizens.
“Nation, even if we are not in government, we have a responsibility to say certain things. For the first time, let me say this openly, Your Excellency, Mr President, you have once again misread the mood of the country,” he stated.
Drawing from his experience as Interior Cabinet Secretary for five years, Matiang’i said he understands the country’s security architecture and how intelligence assessments are conducted, suggesting that the President was either poorly advised or deliberately ignoring warning signs from the ground.
“I do not know whether you have been misadvised or you have misread, but you have misread the mood of the country. Sentiment analysis, data from the ground and everything else, it is either they do not know, or they do not care,” he said.
Matiang’I argued that if he were advising the current administration, his counsel would be simple and direct.
“You would summarise that advice in one word: resounding disapproval,” he said, adding that Kenyans had “refused the way in which we are running the country.”
Police attacks?
Matiang’i’s remarks come in the wake of public outrage over recent incidents in which police have been reported to have teargassed a church congregation and disrupted peaceful political rallies.
The incidents have rekindled debate about the state of civil liberties and the conduct of security agencies under the current administration.
Matiang’i condemned what he described as rising impunity and arrogance in the management of public order.
“I never imagined that in a country we have been independent for over six decades, at an international airport, Kisumu, you would actually position thugs to wait for members of parliament,” he said.
He questioned what remained of Kenya’s democratic credentials if security teams could not account for such incidents.
“If I was in Interior now, the regional security team cannot tell me they cannot save the situation,” he added.
His comments also comes shorty after Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna has accused commercial airlines of sharing passenger itineraries with state security operatives, claiming hat such actions endangered opposition leaders.
“By God’s grace and your prayers, the #LindaMwananchi team arrived safely in Nairobi,” Sifuna wrote.
“The airlines shared our itinerary with the ghouls in the Ministry of Interior, knowing full well they were endangering our safety. Shame on you people, bwana.”
He also questioned the role of the Kenya Airports Authority in the Kisumu airport incident, demanding an explanation for how alleged goons were allowed to barricade a key public facility.
At the same time, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has condemned what he termed state-sponsored violence at a political rally in Kakamega on February 21, 2026. The rally, held at Amalemba Grounds, was part of the broader Linda Mwananchi mobilisation drive.
Gachagua accused senior Interior ministry officials of organising and escorting goons to disrupt the event. “They are in charge of mobilising goons and giving the goons police escort to unleash violence on innocent citizens,” he said.
According to him, one of the claimed attackers died in the clashes, while others sustained serious injuries. He described the situation as “very sad,” warning that Kenya risks losing its long-held reputation as an island of peace in Africa.
The Kakamega rally followed earlier tensions in Kisumu, where assailants are reported to have stoned a sound truck linked to Sifuna in the Riat area as it headed to the event.