Matiang’i ‘pardon’ paves way for Ruto Kisii visit

 President William Ruto’s nomination of three people for appointment as Chief Administrative Secretary and the withdrawal of police action against former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has softened the ground ahead of his visit to Gusiiland.

The President will today commission development projects in Kisii, Nyamira and Migori counties and grace the home coming of Education Cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu tomorrow. President Ruto will end his three-Nyanza tour with a leaders’ meeting in Kisii on Saturday.

There has been growing dissent over what residents of the region perceived as harassment of Matiang’i following a police raid at his Nairobi home.

Politicians from the region reacted with fury after Matiang’i was summoned to record a statement with the police who claimed he lied about the raid.

“The government’s move to frame charges against Dr Matiang’i is an affront against the Abagusii community who have only him (Matiang’i) as their eye. We are not going to take it lying down,” Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni said the day the former CS was grilled by detectives.

Appointments

But according to North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko, various consultative meetings by Gusii leaders and some government operatives saw the Matiang’i issue fade away.

“Some politicians had wrongly picked Dr Matiang’i’s issue with authorities for some undesirable ambitions against the government. We worked hard against such individuals and prevailed upon the former CS with whom we brokered an agreement over so many other issues,” Nyamoko said in a phone interview.

The directorate of public prosecutions has since terminated the Matiang’i probe.

Besides Machogu, President Ruto appointed former MP Shadrack Mose as Solicitor General after also nominating three of his key pointmen from the region to serve as Chief Administrative Secretary in various departments.

Mose was sworn in on Monday after the term of Ken Ogeto expired.

Those who have been nominated for appointment as Chief Administrative Secretary are Nairobi-based politician Millicent Omanga who will be serving in the Ministry of Interior, former Kisii County Deputy Governor Joash Maangi who was dispatched to Foreign Affairs and former West Mugirango MP Vincent Kemosi in the Trade and Investments ministry.

State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed yesterday said the Head of State will commission the upgrading of roads and commission the Kegati Water project in Kisii County.

Briefing the press at the Kisii Depot Cereals and Produce Board, Mohamed said Ruto will hold meetings with leaders in the region.

He said farmers in Kisii and Nyamira counties have received subsidized fertilizer through the government’s subsidy programme to boost agricultural production and foster food security.

The President will grace a graduation ceremony at Rongo University in Migori County on Friday and later commission road projects in the county.

Interior PS Raymond Omollo toured Kuria West and East, Uriri, and Rongo towns where the President is expected.

“We came ahead to carry out an inspection on areas he will visit and to ascertain that adequate preparations are made,’’ explained Omollo.

The PS cautioned against extreme acts of lawlessness while picketing, and called for constructive dialogue and peaceful engagement with the Head of State.

Yesterday, Kuria East MP Marwa Kitayama said the Head of State would be visiting his constituency.

“Tentatively, the President will be in Kuria East to commission Senta tarmac road and other few projects,’’ he explained

Sources indicated that Kitayama, his Kuria West counterpart Mathias Robi, Uriri MP Mark Nyamita and Rongo’s Paul Abuor attended a meeting in State House on Tuesday evening ahead of Ruto’s trip.