The United Opposition’s fragile unity suffered a major blow Saturday after former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i snubbed a high-profile rally in Embu County — a move seen as open defiance against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s growing dominance within the coalition.
Instead of joining opposition heavyweights at the Embu event, Matiang’i attended a funeral in Meru, sending political tongues wagging about widening cracks in the alliance. His absence came barely a day after he shared a stage with Gachagua at Wiper’s National Delegates Conference in Uhuru Park, where both leaders endorsed Kalonzo Musyoka’s 2027 presidential bid.
Insiders say tension between the two men has reached breaking point. Gachagua, described by some allies as behaving like a “coalition prefect,” is accused of dictating strategy and deploying proxies including DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala to publicly undermine Matiang’i following his appearance at Jubilee’s National Delegates Conference last month. Matiang’i’s Jubilee alignment, which reaffirmed his ties with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, is said to have infuriated Gachagua, who views the Mt Kenya vote as his personal turf.
His conspicuous absences — from Kajiado earlier this month to Embu today — are now interpreted as quiet rebellion against what sources call “Gachagua’s overbearing control.” And with Gachagua using the Embu rally to lash out at Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and her deputy, analysts warn the opposition risks imploding under unchecked egos and regional rivalry.
“This isn’t leadership; it’s a power struggle,” one insider remarked. “Matiang’i’s absence is a message — that he won’t dance to Gachagua’s tune.”
Unless the coalition reins in its internal wars, the dream of a united front in 2027 could collapse under the weight of Gachagua’s mountain obsession.
