The ghosts of the Ruaraka land scandal have returned to haunt the political stage, triggering a vicious war of words between Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

This clash is more than a dispute over history; it is the opening salvo of the 2027 presidential election. By reviving the scandal, the Kenya Kwanza administration aims to dismantle Matiang’i’s credibility before his campaign for the presidency gains irreversible momentum, framing the former "super minister" as the architect of the very systemic failures he now claims to possess the cure for.

The Resurrection of a Scandal

Speaking at a charged United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirants’ forum at State House, Nairobi, Deputy President Kindiki did not mince his words. He launched a blistering attack on the former Interior CS, accusing him of hypocrisy and historical amnesia. Kindiki’s central thesis was clear: the current educational crisis—from the teething problems of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to the chronic shortage of teachers—is the direct debris of Matiang’i’s tenure as Education Cabinet Secretary.

"We are trying to sort out the mess you created," Kindiki declared, his voice cutting through the applause of party loyalists. He painted a picture of an administration working overtime to clean up a chaotic legacy, suggesting that Matiang’i has no moral standing to critique the government’s performance when his own fingerprints are on the foundational cracks of the sector. The Ruaraka land saga, a controversy involving the alleged payment of billions for land that was already public property, served as the ultimate ammunition in this narrative assault.

• The Accusation: Kindiki frames Matiang’i as a symbol of past impunity, specifically linking him to the Sh1.5 billion Ruaraka land payout and the chaotic rollout of the CBC.
• The Defense: Matiang’i dismisses these claims as "reckless political talk," challenging the government to use its investigative agencies to prosecute him if they have evidence, rather than fighting him on podiums.
• The Strategy: Analysts view this as a preemptive strike by the state to define Matiang’i as a "project of the past" before he can successfully rebrand himself as the "solution for the future."

2027: The Shadow War Begins

Dr. Matiang’i has not taken the attacks lying down. In a series of calculated public appearances, he has characterized his potential candidacy as a "rescue mission" for a nation he argues is suffering from a leadership deficit, not a resource deficit. He has positioned himself as a technocrat capable of restoring order, a direct contrast to what he subtly depicts as the populism of the current regime. However, the resurrection of the Ruaraka ghost threatens to derail this narrative by forcing him to defend his past rather than articulate his future vision.

The timing of these exchanges is instructive. With the political landscape shifting and new alliances forming, the battle for the soul of the opposition is fierce. By targeting Matiang’i, Kindiki is not just defending his administration’s record; he is arguably trying to pick his preferred opponent—or perhaps destroy a formidable one before the bell even rings. As the accusations fly, the Kenyan public is left to decipher where the truth lies amidst the smoke of political warfare.