Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i has come out strongly in defence of former President Uhuru Kenyatta over claims surrounding the management of Azimio coalition election agents during the 2022 General Election, urging ODM leaders to shift their focus to more pressing national matters.
Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, January 6, the former Interior Cabinet Secretary weighed in on the renewed debate over alleged mismanagement of campaign funds, following claims that some Azimio agents were never paid for their work during the polls.
Matiang’i dismissed the controversy as misplaced, arguing that some ODM leaders were focusing on what he termed minor issues instead of holding the current government accountable on critical matters affecting Kenyans.
“Instead of focusing on important issues, you are trivially focusing on petty things about which agent was paid and which one was not paid,” Matiang’i said.
He further claimed that leaders reviving the agent payment debate were aligned with the government and were deliberately seeking to tarnish the reputation of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to Matiang’i, questions surrounding unpaid agents should be directed to those who directly recruited them, not elevated into a national political dispute.
“Concerns about agents who were paid or not paid should be addressed to the person who hired them. Why should it be turned into a national issue?” he posed.
Matiang’i’s defence of the former president was echoed by Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, who insisted that Uhuru Kenyatta was never involved in the day-to-day handling or payment of Azimio agents.
Kioni said the former president’s role during the campaign was largely focused on mobilising resources for the coalition, placing responsibility for managing those funds on the ODM leadership. He singled out ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, accusing him of mismanaging campaign resources.
“If he had managed the resources well, Raila would be in State House alive,” Kioni claimed.
The renewed fallout within the Azimio ranks was sparked by remarks from Sifuna, who accused National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed of misusing funds that were meant to pay election agents.
Junet, however, dismissed the allegations and instead pointed an accusing finger at former President Uhuru Kenyatta and his close allies, further fuelling the internal blame game.
The public exchange has once again exposed deep divisions within the Azimio coalition, as leaders trade accusations over the handling of campaign resources more than two years after the contested election.
