Matiang’i reappears after Break from public Eye

Matiang’i reappears after Break from public Eye

Matiang’i reappears after Break from public Eye

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i reappeared in public on Wednesday after disappearing for several months to address claims that he gave instructions to close the Kenyatta University Campus in Kigali, Rwanda. The Public Investment Committee of the National Assembly summoned the former CS last week so he could respond to the charges brought against him.

Since he was currently in Washington, DC, in the United States, Matiang’i had  previously stated that he was unable to attend in person. He was given the opportunity to electronically testify before the committee and  provide his arguments regarding the events in Kigali that cost the taxpayer Ksh600  million.

In defending himself, Matiang’i stated that the Paul Kagame administration had  made it difficult for KU to function in Rwanda. “Neither the government nor the university administration had requested that the  campus be shut down. Authorities and regulators in Rwanda closed them down,” he defended himself.

According to an Auditor General’s report for the 2019–20 fiscal year, the government invested more than Ksh420 million on the project. Kenya never benefited economically from the initiative, despite the millions invested  in it. Since the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped charges against him in  March, Matiang’i has made few public appearances. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at the time received evidence from  the DPP to support charges of conspiracy to conduct a felony and dissemination of  false information against the former CS.

After determining that the evidence gathered did not sufficiently support each of the  charges as required by law, the DPP withdrew the case. It was unclear right away if the former CS lived in the US or was just visiting.