Former Nyeri Town MP Wambugu Ngunjiri has questioned why former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appears to be increasingly uneasy about former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

In a statement shared on his social media pages on Saturday, October 4, 2025, Gachagua may be unsettled by Matiang’i’s calm and calculated approach to politics, which contrasts sharply with his own style.

He also suggested that Matiang’i’s ability to move freely and attract support in the Mount Kenya region without Gachagua’s influence could be another source of tension.

“Something about Matiangi is really scaring Gachagua. Could it be the calm, sober mind with silent moves, all of which are the very opposite of who Gachagua is? Or is it the fact that Matiangi can go anywhere in Mt Kenya without his permission?” Wambugu stated.

This comes at a time when a power struggle seems to be emerging within the United Opposition.

Matiangi Gachagua’s indirect jabs

While unveiling the Magarini DCP parliamentary candidate, Gachagua appeared to take an indirect swipe at Matiang’i, stating that votes are not won in boardrooms or on social media, but by engaging directly with Kenyans at the grassroots.

 He emphasised that, having been part of campaigns that made two individuals presidents, he knows that anyone seeking the country’s top office must be willing to “get their hands dirty” by connecting with the people.

“I am a very experienced politician who has delivered two presidents for this country, and I know how to make a president. Presidents are made in the field, not boardrooms.”

On the same day, Matiang’i, while addressing supporters in Nakuru, dismissed such views. He maintained that those who see him only as a technocrat confined to offices would soon be shocked, as he plans to hit the ground running to popularise his 2027 presidential bid.

There has been a back and forth between the Jubilee party and the United Opposition, with Kioni blaming it for sidelining Fred Matiangi in their talks. He also accused Gachagua of trying to bully Fred Matiang’i by urging him not to join Jubilee but to use a Kisii-based party as his political vehicle.