Presidential hopeful Fred Matiang'i has returned to the US, just days after announcing his presidential bid, according to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Matiangi, who recently joined Gachagua's opposition camp, has been the subject of political discourse following his intent to run for the top seat.
The news of him jetting out of the country has been the subject of the talk of the town, with politicians opposed to his presidency alluding that he developed cold feet and decided to go back to his job with the World Bank in Washington, DC.
However, his ally Gachagua, during a media engagement with Egesa FM, announced that Matiang'i had gone back to the US to resign formally and hand over.
The former DP asked the Gusii community to let the former CS jet to his former employer and do the honourable thing of resigning.
"I know we will, but I want to wish my brother Fred Matiangi the very best. I want to ask the people of Kisii to give Matiangi some opportunity to go back to Washington to hand over. It would be bad manners for him to just leave the job without resigning," Gachagua stated.
Demands
Gachagua revealed that just like the other presidential hopefuls in their camp, Matiang'i had to get real backing on the ground as one of the grounds to be fronted as a flag bearer.
He vowed that he would not support either the CS or the other contestants if they could not get real backing and numbers from their communities and support bases.
''For him to be the President, he must be rallied by his people. There is no way I am going to support him without the backing and numbers of his people. He must present that on the table," Gachagua stated.
Further, Gachagua disclosed that the former Interior CS had surprised them after pulling a huge crowd in Kisii when he formally declared his bid.
The former Mathira MP pointed out that he had sent emissaries on a fact-finding mission to establish whether the numbers were indeed true.
Additionally, he urged the local community to rally behind Matiang'i to give his team a chance to 'rescue' Kenya.
''I have about 20,000 people in his backyard. I have already sent them on a fact-finding mission to establish whether what we saw was organic. That was a great number.''
Gachagua was recently handed a political lifeline after the Court of Appeal ruled that Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu acted against the law by empanelling a bench to hear his ouster as DP.
