By KPC Reporter
Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i has delivered a sharp critique of government priorities, while calling for unity and urgent reforms in the country’s healthcare system.
Speaking during the burial of Martina Barongo, sister to Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama, Dr Matiang’i cautioned leaders against divisive politics, condemning the use of tribal rhetoric and personal attacks.
“You cannot move forward in this nation if your language is tribal and insulting others. We want to lead our people, not insult them,” he said, adding that credible leadership is earned through trust, not inducements.
“If you must pay people to listen to you, you have lost legitimacy,” he warned.
Dr Matiang’i turned his focus to what he termed misplaced national priorities, citing challenges in the health and education sectors.
He pointed to the stalled radiotherapy services at Kenyatta National Hospital, where cancer patients have reportedly waited months for treatment, some worsening in the process.
He contrasted this with budget allocations he questioned, noting a Sh4.8 billion shortfall in the school feeding programme that risks pushing about two million children out of school, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, even as billions are allocated to other state functions.
On the Social Health Authority (SHA), Matiang’i declared the scheme ineffective, stating: “This SHA thing doesn’t work.”
He urged President William Ruto to candidly acknowledge the challenges facing the programme and take decisive action.
“If it is not working, let us be honest and fix it or do away with it so that we can help our people,” he said, while conceding that the initiative may have been launched with good intentions.
He also called for transparency in multi-billion-shilling medical cover tenders for teachers and police officers, questioning who benefited amid persistent service delivery failures.
Positioning himself and like-minded leaders as capable of steering reforms, Matiang’i said the country requires a more accountable and responsive approach to governance.
“We cannot run our country this way. That is why we are saying we are ready—because we understand government work,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing public concern over the state of healthcare and education, adding to mounting pressure on the government to prioritize service delivery and accountability over political rhetoric.