Matiang’i: Raila’s 'swearing-in' at Uhuru Park was my toughest test at Interior docket

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has described how their relationship with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was tested during his tenure in the powerful Interior docket, particularly around the 2017 General Election when he served as acting CS following the death of Gen. Joseph Nkaissery.

Matiang’i said the 2018 self-swearing-in at Uhuru Park, which came months after the disputed 2017 presidential elections and attended by thousands of supporters, was the greatest test of his career as the Interior CS.

“But after the 2017 elections, when Raila wanted to go to Uhuru Park to be sworn in as the People’s President, it was the greatest test for me as the Minister for Security. We discussed the issue with other members of the security council and agreed that it was a test we had to pass," he said.

"I thank God because the event happened at Uhuru Park to a successful conclusion without a single shot being fired or a single incident,” he added.

The ceremony, which took place months after the disputed August 2017 presidential elections, was attended by thousands of supporters and served as a symbolic assertion of the people’s sovereignty.

Raila appeared on stage dressed in a white shirt and black cap, holding a Bible, while Ruaraka MP T.J. Kajwang’ administered the oath and lawyer Miguna Miguna helped officiate the brief but symbolic ceremony.

In front of a roaring crowd, Raila raised his right hand and declared: "I, Raila Amolo Odinga, do swear that I will protect the nation as the People's President, so help me God."

The crowd erupted in cheers, singing liberation songs and chanting "Baba! Baba!"

The self-declared inauguration, attended by thousands of his supporters, was both an act of political rebellion and a cry for justice. It was an event that captured the frustration of a people who felt robbed of their electoral voice.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had declared President Uhuru Kenyatta the winner of the August vote, but Raila's National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition challenged the outcome, citing massive irregularities in the transmission and tallying of results.

In a historic move, the Supreme Court nullified the election, marking the first time in Africa that a court had annulled a presidential poll.

The repeat election held in October, however, was boycotted by Odinga, who insisted that the IEBC had failed to reform and could not be trusted to deliver a credible vote.

The ex-CS also described Raila as a father figure and mentor who cared deeply about education and public welfare.

“Raila alikuwa kama baba ya watu wote na mwelekezi. Before the 2012 elections, I only used to see him from a distance, but when I became a Cabinet Minister in 2013, we started meeting often at public events,” Matiang’i said.

Matiang’i recalled how the late Prime Minister frequently followed up on schools in Nyanza and Western Kenya, including Maranda High School and Maseno School, during Matiang’i’s tenure as Education Cabinet Secretary.

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