Fred Matiang'i narrates how meeting with Zambia President shaped his political ideology

Former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i received at SDA Church Lavington SDA by Senior Pastor Samuel Kairiba as other church members look on./HANDOUT

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has recalled how meeting Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema shaped his ideology and inspired his desire to run for President.

Matiang’i says he had been designated to represent Kenya as a special envoy in early 2022 when Hichilema had won against incumbent the late Edgar Lungu.

“The new President of Zambia knowing I was an Adventist like him asked that we meet in his house instead of the office. I flew to Zambia and was cleared by the military at the airport and taken to his house,” he said.

President Hichilema was in the company of two security chiefs when he met Matiang’i who was also accompanied by two unnamed security bosses.

“He asked me what may favourite hymn was. Then he said that he likes singing it in his mother tongue and that I should do the same. We were wondering if we should ask our entourage to join in the singing but we decided to let them leave the room,” he said.

President Hichilema and Matiang’i then began singing the hymn ‘He leadeth me’ in their vernacular, making their security teams worried if the two were okay.

“I remember one of Kenya’s security men, from the NIS, kept looking wondering if these two people are okay as we sung in our respective languages,” the ex-CS said on Sunday at SDA Church, Lavington in Nairobi when he joined the Adventist Men Organization (AMO) prayer breakfast under the theme “Show yourself a Man-for God and country.”

The meeting brings together men of faith for a reflection, mentorship and fellowship- a moment to renew commitment to the values that strengthen both family and nation.

It’s after the song session that the new President took Matiang’i for a tour of his house explaining what he had undergone through in the hands of the government as an opposition leader.

“He told me that the windows of his house were all broken down at one time while he was arrested on trumped up charges. During one of his appearances in court, one of his lawyers was killed.  I wondered if it was worthy, it and he (Hichilema) told me that he had to fight for the presidency so that he can do the right thing,” Matiang’i added.

The former CS, who is yet to formally declared his party, used the opportunity to reassure his supporter’s that he will vie for presidency while acknowledging that the journey ahead will be tough.

He asked the church and particularly the youth to stand up and demand for accountability by questioning public policies and conduct of those holding public offices.

“You will hear of a lot of stories some even maligning members of our families but that’s the nature of politics. It’s the sacrifice we must make if we have to redeem our countries. Just like the founders of the nation fought for liberation, we must be prepared to sacrifice for the country that we love. We don’t have any other home,” he added.

He urged the youth to shun tribalism and vote for leaders based on their track records. “It’s only during elections that the issue of this one is Luo, that one Kikuyu and the other one Kisii and so forth come up. We can overcome this and look for diligent leaders.”

While referring to a famous quote by former US President J.F Kennedy ‘ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country, Dr. Matiang’i said Kenyans have to change their concept of what their contribution to nation building is.