Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i has accused the government of orchestrating internet jamming and mass surveillance targeting opposition figures, describing the state’s actions as a dangerous wave of digital terrorism.
Speaking during a media briefing at the Jubilee Party Headquarters in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, the former Interior CS claimed the administration acquired technology from foreign criminal networks, including operators in Indonesia, to breach opposition figures’ social media accounts. He added that unmarked vehicles fitted with signal jammers regularly trail opposition convoys to disable communications during public engagements.
“The government has decided to begin, in addition to terrorizing opposition leaders, if you did not know, and some of my staffers are here; they will tell you that a new wave of digital terrorism against the opposition,” Matiang’i stated.
“They have acquired resources from some criminal groups in Indonesia, and they are accessing social media accounts of opposition leaders.”
Matiang’i pointed out that Wi-Fi connections consistently fail whenever opposition politicians gather to address rallies. He noted that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s team faced identical connectivity blackouts while campaigning in Nakuru and Kiambu counties over the weekend, highlighting what he called a coordinated pattern of state interference.
“These days we get trailed by vehicles I believe belong to the state with jammers. We stop to address rallies, but our WIFI is interfered with; you cannot communicate,” he lamented.
Beyond digital sabotage, Matiang’i accused the government of directing vast public resources toward targeted propaganda and disinformation campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections. He referenced a fraudulent letter circulating online that claimed Kanze Dena, former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s communications chief, announced Kenyatta’s refusal to meet with Gachagua.
“Last week you saw a letter, a statement purportedly authored by Kanze Edena, the communication head of the fourth president, claiming that President Kenyatta has said he is not going to meet with Rigathe Gachawa and so on and so forth. All that is the work of the state,” Matiang’i stated.
Matiang’i argued that these coordinated fabrications demonstrate an administration focused on sabotaging political rivals rather than addressing pressing national issues.
Meanwhile, Matiang’i announced that the united opposition will convene a two-day retreat. The retreat, scheduled for Monday, August 24, and Tuesday, August 25, 2026, will focus on assessing the political climate and electoral environment ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“We are having an opposition retreat on the 24th and 25th of this month. We are going to discuss the electoral environment and what we need to do going forward,” Matiang’i stated.
He added that the opposition aims to engage stakeholders across the political spectrum, noting that they intend to reach as many key decision-makers and leaders within the political community as possible.
