Former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has declared his intention to contest the Kisii County gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election, setting the stage for a renewed political contest in the region.
The former CS and longtime provincial administrator will be making his second attempt at the Kisii governorship, having lost to Simba Arati in the 2022 elections.
In that contest, Mr Arati, who ran on an Orange Democratic Movement ticket, secured victory with 270,928 votes, while Mr Machogu, flying the United Democratic Alliance flag, garnered 82,104 votes.
Mr Machogu, who served as the Member of Parliament for Nyaribari Masaba Constituency from 2017 to 2022, made his declaration during a funeral ceremony in Bobasi Constituency.
Although he did not disclose the political party under which he intends to seek the seat, Mr Machogu announced his support for former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, whom he described as the country’s last remaining hope of rescuing Kenya from what he termed a political and economic morass allegedly created by the current regime, one in which he himself served as a Cabinet minister for two years.
“At this time, Kenyans have recognised that the only brave man who can be trusted to pull the country from the leadership mess, the only trusted public servant who has served and left a track record, is none other than Fred Okeng’o Matiang’i,” said Mr Machogu.
He praised Matiang’i as a firm and decisive leader with an impeccable public record, adding that it is difficult to find anyone of his stature within the community who stands out as a credible presidential contender.
Mr Machogu’s remarks point to a clear political alignment with Matiang’i, who is perceived to be steadily gaining influence in Kisii politics.
Once a close ally and staunch supporter of President William Ruto, Mr Machogu accused the Head of State of allegedly misleading Kenyans with the bottom-up and ‘pesa mfukoni’ slogans, only to later “turn against the people” and take money out of their pockets.
“Can I disclose to you the secrets of this government? I regret and confess to God as a Christian that this government is full of lies and deception,” Mr Machogu said.
He claimed that the President has repeatedly been untruthful to Kenyans, making promises that citizens are unable to clearly trace or verify.
“The hustler fund, have you seen it benefiting anyone? He then introduced Pesa Mfukoni and later invented economic empowerment. Now he is talking about the Nyota fund. Have you seen that, Nyota? If you ask young people here, have you seen that Nyota fund?” he posed.
Mr Machogu was dismissed by President Ruto following the June 2024 Gen Z protests. He later blamed five UDA legislators from Kisii for his removal.
He claimed his dismissal stemmed from his refusal to engage in corrupt dealings related to the construction of classrooms in 68 schools in Nyamira County, a project funded by the Kuwait government.
According to Mr Machogu, the five lawmakers wanted him to award them tenders and contracts for the project, and when he declined, they allegedly orchestrated a political onslaught against him.
He further accused the same group of writing to President Ruto, demanding his dismissal and even proposing a replacement.
“The project was worth Sh1.9 billion, which the MPs wanted to share among themselves by being awarded tenders and contracts, a move which I strongly rejected,” he said.
Without naming names, Mr Machogu added that the same clique of legislators had previously opposed former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i while he was in government and have continued to fight him following his indication that he may contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election.
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