Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli on Wednesday, October 23, in an interview with Citizen TV's Jeff Koinange on JKLive weighed in on CS Fred Matiang'i's shot at the presidency.
On whether Matiang'i stood a chance, Atwoli stated, "those people who are not blue or red, you cannot read them. We call them smooth operators. They can easily become president. They disarm the opponents by believing they are humble."
Atwoli affirmed that Matiang'i could become president, but went on to give a condition under which that could be possible.
On the downside, however, Atwoli described Matiang'i as abrasive. He went on to explain to Jeff that people tended to fear the abrasive nature and therefore Matiang'i would have to work extra hard in winning Kenyans.
According to Atwoli, Matiang'i would also require the backing of influential political influencers.
On the bright side, Atwoli termed the interior CS as assertive, a quality that would make him a very good president.
"Matiang'i can be a president. If he is backed. But you know he's abrasive. He must work hard because you know, sometimes, people are scared of them. But he can be a very good president because he is assertive.' Atwoli stated.
Matiang'i's role in government and future ambitions sparked reef when he was appointed the chairperson of the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee in January 2019.
The appointment meant the no-nonsense CS would oversee the delivery of all national government programmes and projects and would report directly to the head of state.
This elevated position for the CS propped him up as a possible successor of the president even though he hasn't yet declared interest in seeking an elective position.
