NAIROBI — In a political landscape defined by shifting alliances and public betrayals, a new theory has emerged that threatens to upend the 2027 chessboard. Geoffrey Mosiria, the outspoken Nairobi County Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement, has dropped a bombshell claim: Dr. Fred Matiang’i, the face of the emerging United Opposition, may actually be working to strengthen President William Ruto’s hand.

The assertion contradicts the prevailing narrative of animosity between the current Head of State and his former cabinet colleague. For months, Matiang’i has positioned himself as the fierce 'Mr. Fix It' of the opposition, vowing to clean up what he terms a "competence crisis" in the Kenya Kwanza administration. Yet, according to Mosiria, this public hostility is merely smoke and mirrors.

The 'Calculated Strategy'

Speaking in Nairobi on Sunday, Mosiria dismissed the notion of a genuine rivalry between the two Gusii kingpins. Instead, he painted a picture of a high-stakes tactical game where Matiang’i’s role is to disrupt the opposition from within while keeping the government stable.

“The difference is I hold a government position; my brother is playing his cards from outside to divide the opposition and continue holding the government firm,” Mosiria stated, urging the public to read between the lines. He argued that Matiang’i’s aggressive posturing is a “calculated strategy” designed to eventually herd the opposition—or at least the Gusii vote—into a cooperative arrangement with the state.

Mosiria, a close ally of Governor Johnson Sakaja and a defender of the President, went further to suggest that the political lineage of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta is central to this plot. “I have seen that Uhuru gave our brother Matiang’i the number two position [in Jubilee]. If things continue this way, because Uhuru and the President are friends, I can see our brother Matiang’i even being part of the government in 2027,” he alleged.

The Gusii Unity Factor

For the average voter in Nyamira or Kisii, this intrigue boils down to a simple question of resources. Mosiria’s appeal was explicitly rooted in the politics of the stomach—urging the community to align with power to secure development projects and appointments.

• The Argument: A fractured community loses out on the national cake.
• The Goal: Consolidate the Gusii vote (approx. 1 million strong) under a leadership that, publicly or privately, cooperates with the ruling coalition.
• The Risk: If Matiang’i is perceived as a government project, his credibility as a reformist alternative could collapse.

“Matiang’i, if you are watching me, work closely with President Ruto so that Kisii can progress,” Mosiria appealed, framing the potential alliance as a pragmatic necessity rather than an ideological surrender.

Mixed Signals: The Duale Attack

However, the theory of a secret handshake faces a harsh reality check from within the President’s inner circle. Just hours before Mosiria’s comments, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale launched a blistering attack on the former Interior CS, describing him as the “face of impunity.”

Duale, speaking at a function in Narok, questioned Matiang’i’s moral authority to critique the current regime, citing alleged extrajudicial excesses during the Jubilee era. This "bad cop" routine from Duale, contrasted with Mosiria’s "good cop" invitation, leaves observers guessing. Is the government genuinely afraid of a Matiang’i candidacy, or are they coordinating a complex script to keep the opposition off-balance?

Matiang’i himself has previously scoffed at rumors of joining the government. In October, he famously declared he would rather “sit under a tree” with his family than work with the Kenya Kwanza administration, which he accused of looting public resources. Yet in Kenyan politics, today’s enemy is often tomorrow’s coalition partner.

As the 2027 cycle heats up, the burden of proof now shifts to Matiang’i. Will he escalate his attacks to prove his independence, or will Mosiria’s prophecy of a “brotherly” reunion come to pass? For now, the Gusii community—and the nation—watches with bated breath.