Kisii elders crowned former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i as a community elder and appointed him their official spokesman during a traditional ceremony at Ekerenyo Grounds in Nyamira County on Monday, February 23, 2026.
United Opposition leaders watched as the elders formally blessed Matiang’i and presented him with traditional instruments. These symbols represent his new authority to speak for the Abagusii community in national politics.
The elders began the event by draping Matiang’i in a ceremonial cloth to signal his new high rank within the Kisii community.
The elders explained that although tradition usually requires animal skin, they intentionally selected special attire to honor him.
They then placed headgear on Matiang’i, representing the power and responsibility reserved for leaders of his rank. The ceremony proceeded as the elders presented a symbolic stick, choosing it specifically over the spear typically used in such blessings. They clarified that the stick signifies authority and peaceful leadership, showing that Matiang’i intends to pursue unity rather than conflict.
The elders also handed him a fly whisk and instructed him to use it when greeting the public during major ceremonies, a gesture that holds deep cultural meaning within Abagusii tradition.
To conclude the symbolic presentations, the elders invited a religious leader to pray over and bless the instruments, anchoring the entire ceremony in both cultural heritage and spiritual faith.
The elders formally closed the ceremony by handing Matiang’i over to the United Opposition leaders, signaling he can now travel across the country to hunt for votes. The opposition leaders, now calling their movement the United Alternative Government, shook his hand while he held the traditional symbols of authority.
After the blessings, Matiang’i thanked the elders for the honor and promised to handle the responsibility with care. He pledged to secure victory and vowed that, if he wins the presidency, he would keep seeking advice from the same council that blessed him.
“Kwa council of elders nitakuwa nashauriana na nyinyi, sitakuwa naenda kando na muongozo yenu,” he said.
The United Opposition’s three-day tour through the Kisii region kicked off at Ekerenyo Grounds, marking the first stop in a broader strategy to sweep the Abagusii region. This tour signals a significant political shift in an area that has long served as a stronghold for the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with current momentum appearing to favor Fred Matiang’i ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Matiang’i’s central role in the coalition’s presidential ambitions gained further weight just days ago when the Jubilee Party formally cleared him to be its flagbearer. He now serves as the vital bridge between Jubilee and the rebranded United Alternative Government.