- Fred Matiang’i has dismissed the Gusii Education Stakeholders Convention as a politically motivated meeting meant to mislead teachers.
- Matiang’i has questioned the convention’s inclusivity, noting the absence of elected Kisii and Nyamira MPs and linking the event to support for the Broad-Based Government.
Former Education and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has dismissed the recently concluded Gusii Education Stakeholders Convention at Kisii University, describing it as a meeting meant to mislead teachers.
Speaking in an interview with a local media outlet, Matiang’i said, “They have convened at Kisii University to lie to teachers.” Without naming names, he made pointed remarks about an unnamed individual who had reportedly said that Matiang’i’s work as Education CS was commendable but that he should abandon his presidential ambitions.
Matiang’i argued that the convention was not inclusive, saying it had only invited individuals supporting the current Broad-Based Government led by President William Ruto. He questioned why the meeting, if genuinely intended for education development, was not attended by elected Members of Parliament from Kisii and Nyamira counties, noting that only the Kisii and Nyamira county governors, Simba Arati and Amos Nyaribo, along with nominated Senator Essy Okenyuri, were present.
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Matiang’i further claimed the convention was being used as a political tool, questioning why teachers were being drawn into the meeting while their economic conditions remained poor, citing the government’s continued postponement of the Collective Bargaining Agreement Memorandum of Understanding.
The Gusii Education Stakeholders Convention was held on September 10 and 11, 2026, at Kisii University under the theme “Reimagining Education in the Gusii Region through Collaboration and Innovation for Sustainable Development.” The convention was convened by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, who presided over the meeting, and was hosted by Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof. Nathan Ogechi.
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The convention followed a commitment made during a graduation ceremony at Riragia in 2025 to conduct a baseline survey on the state of education in Kisii and Nyamira counties. The survey assessed issues including CBE implementation, teacher preparedness, infrastructure, university reforms, TVET, funding and employability. A Steering Committee chaired by CPM Patrick Nyagosia was constituted to spearhead preparations, comprising Prof. Nathan Ogechi, Dr Edinah Kangwana, Dr Peter Kereri and Dr Walter Okibo Bichang’a.
Among the key professors and academicians who attended were Prof. Nathan Ogechi, Prof. Emeritus Ratemo Michieka, Chancellor of Tharaka University, Prof. Elijah Omwenga, Vice Chancellor of the Open University of Kenya, Prof. David Ongarora, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration at Maseno University, and Prof. Regina Nyunja, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at Maseno University.
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Other key speakers included Kenya’s Ambassador to Germany and Belgium, Dr Joash Maangi, and Education Attaché to China Albert Ombiro, who spoke on education opportunities in the diaspora. The two highlighted scholarships, student exchange programmes, technical training linkages and research collaborations available in Europe and China, urging Gusii institutions to tap into diaspora networks to improve quality and employability. Other participants included Dr Norman Kiogora, Director of the Kenya Institute of Special Education, and more than 400 education stakeholders drawn from local and diaspora scholars, university dons, teachers’ unions, school heads and parents’ representatives.
Resolutions from the two-day conference are expected to be forwarded to the Ministry of Education for consideration.
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