Human rights defender Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity has issued a strong public warning against the return of discredited figures from Kenya’s corrupt and repressive regimes, condemning the ongoing efforts to repackage them as viable 2027 presidential options.
In a scathing public statement on Wednesday 9th July 2025,on his social media networks, Kinity singled out impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as prime examples of dangerous leadership recycling.
Gachagua, who was constitutionally removed from office in 2024 for inciting ethnic tensions, corruption, and abuse of office, has embarked on a two-month tour of the United States. Though legally barred from holding public office, he is accompanying Matiang’i’s campaign activities in the diaspora, using the tour as an opportunity to re-enter political conversations and secure future favour if Matiang’i ascends to power.
Dr. Kinity criticised Gachagua’s move as a calculated scheme to remain politically relevant by riding on Matiang’i’s campaign. He warned that this alliance is not founded on public interest but on backdoor negotiations and personal deals. Gachagua, he said, is seeking political favours, including a possible appointment or a pardon for past corruption charges.
He reminded Kenyans that the KShs 7.6 billion graft case involving Gachagua was controversially dropped by the current regime after he helped deliver power in 2022. For Dr. Kinity, the US tour is not about public service but a ploy to clean up damaged reputations and help recycle failed leaders back into power.
He directed sharp criticism at Matiang’i, calling him another face of the old system. He recalled Matiang’i’s violent crackdown on demonstrators during his tenure as Interior CS, especially his infamous 2017 statement instructing police to treat protesters with force and fire. Dr. Kinity accused him of giving orders that led to extrajudicial killings, then shifting the blame to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
He dismissed Matiang’i’s recent media appearances and outreach to the diaspora as political rebranding, aimed at erasing his brutal past in government. According to Dr. Kinity, these are not new leaders. They are polished extensions of the same oppressive machinery that has looted and terrorised the country since independence.
Dr. Kinity urged the diaspora and Kenyan youth to resist being misled by individuals attempting to revive the same political networks that have long denied citizens justice, healthcare, food security, and peace.
He argued that the real problem in Kenya is not the scarcity of talent or resources, but the repeated elevation of leaders who have already proven their loyalty to corruption, impunity, and authoritarianism.
Kinity called on all citizens to stop accepting recycled leadership and to reject candidates who are only visible during campaign seasons but disappear when the people suffer. He asked Kenyans to reflect on the roles these individuals played in past administrations and to question the motives of those funding and promoting them today.
Leave a comment