By KPC Reporter
Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Dr. Fred Matiang’i has called for equitable development for all Kenyan communities and criticised what he termed as rampant theft of public assets.
Speaking at his Nyamira home on Thursday evening when he hosted a delegation of grassroots leaders from the Kuria community, Dr. Matiang’i claimed there was massive looting of public assets in the country.
“The kind of looting happening now has never been seen in the history of this country,” he said.
Dr. Matiang’i accused government officials of facilitating the transfer of public assets into private ownership under the guise of privatization, calling it an unprecedented level of state-backed theft.
“It should not be a laughing matter. Theft is worrying in the history of Kenya,” he said.
“Transfer of public assets being put in private hands in the name of privatization is wrong. Some of these so-called foreign companies are owned by Kenyans disguising themselves as foreigners.”
He cited the proposed sale of Safaricom shares and ongoing land disputes in the country as examples of what he termed systemic plunder.
“The issue of land grabbing, removing people from their ancestral land with the intention to take over the land, is criminal,” he said.
“What is happening in Itembe is criminal. Those are criminals who want to take over land.”
Dr. Matiang’i questioned why the government had not published the list of mining license holders despite increasing tensions around mineral-rich regions.
“These mines are public property,” he said.
“We need to know who the miners are, whether they are being taxed, and how local people are benefiting.”
The meeting, attended by several national and local leaders, focused on concerns over land rights, insecurity, stalled development projects and political inclusion of the Kuria community in Migori County.
Dr. Matiang’i reiterated his belief that leadership should serve all Kenyans without regard to tribe, political leaning or religion, and appealed to the Kuria community to support his 2027 presidential bid.
“We must build a country where every community matters,” he said.
“Development should not be determined by tribe, politics or religion. Leadership must serve all Kenyans equally.”
During the meeting, Kuria elder Thomas Mwita Nyangi raised concerns over what he described as longstanding marginalisation of the Kuria community in Migori County.
Nyangi cited stalled road projects, forced evictions, insecurity and unfulfilled political promises as worrying.
“Kuria people are saying there is no development,” Nyangi said.
“Even the murram road that started during Uhuru (Kenyatta)’s time has stalled. Now the government launches roads that don’t exist.”
Nyangi accused the government of allowing displacement of Kuria families from their land and said the community viewed Matiang’i as their defender.
“Our people have been chased from their land, and you are our savior,” he said.
“The current government is finishing us, and you are our hope.”
He added that security challenges in Kuria had intensified, and urged that future development projects in Migori County must consider the Kuria community equitably.
“We were promised that we would have a county of our own but it never happened,” he said.
“Kuria are number 16 in terms of population and should matter in development.”
The former CS has recently intensified political engagements across the country as he positions himself for a potential presidential run in the 2027 General Election.
During the meeting, he was flanked by MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, former Cabinet Minister Chris Obure, Hon. Kemosi Mogaka, Janet Ong’era, and Nyansiongo Ward MCA Jackson Mogusu.