The speech that put Matiang’i in trouble
Fred Matiang’i had quietly faded into life as a private citizen until George Magoha, his cabinet colleague in former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, suddenly passed on.
Soon after, the former president led all his cabinet members to condole with Magoha’s family at the deceased’s home from where Matiang’i was invited to speak.
As he paid tribute to the fallen scholar, Matiang’i sensationally claimed President Ruto was taking credit for some government projects that were initiated during Uhuru Kenyatta’s time in office.
Not done, he accused some unnamed people of being dishonest and urged most of them to emulate Magoha who worked hard, and served his country diligently.
“We live in a country where people are so dishonest, they love lies and behave as if nothing happened yesterday and are now lecturing us about things they think they are new. If Prof. Magoha had not served at the Ministry of Education, your Excellency [former President Uhuru] your plan for National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) would not have worked,” said Matiang’i.
“And let nobody take credit for this. This (NEMIS) was President Kenyatta’s plan together with the World Bank and that’s how we got where we are at the Ministry of Education. Your plan on expansion of school infrastructure through 20,000 classrooms would never have worked,” added Matiang’i.
Days later on February 8, 2023, word filtered to the public that Matiang’i’s Nairobi home ‘had been raided by police’.
His lawyers, led by Danstan Omari rushed to his rescue and alongside Azimio leader Raila Odinga addressed a press briefing claiming Mataing’is life ‘was in danger’.
“We don’t know the intention of wanting to invade Matiang’i’s home at this time of the night. We don’t know where they want to, we don’t know what offense he has committed arrest him and where they want to take him to,” Omari said.
The following day, the High Court granted Fred Matiang’i a Sh200,000 anticipatory bail, in a bid to protect him him from alleged plans by the State to arrest him.
On February 15, 2023, a contingent of armed police officers raided Matiang’i home in Karen, reportedly broke the padlock and conducted a search.
The multi-agency security team drawn from various security units arrived at the home in at least six vehicles where they conducted a search operation.
Lawyer Danstan Omari said the police officers broke into the home and conducted a raid without a court order.
According to Omari, the former CS was not at the home at the time of the raid.
Come March, 6, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) summoned Matiangi over allegations of publishing false information.
He honoured the summons and was later accused of spreading false information about an alleged invasion and raid of his residence by a “battalion” and/or “garrison” of police officers on February 8-9, 2023.
He is now awaiting his date in court, subject to a final decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
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