Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang’i has fired back at President William Ruto following the president’s comments about the physical appearance of opposition leaders.
While opening a Jubilee Party office in Narok on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Matiang’i told Ruto to stop lowering the status of the presidency by focusing on debates about food and fitness.
President Ruto had earlier poked fun at the opposition during his tour of the Western region in Cheptais, Mt Elgon. He suggested that opposition leaders should hit the gym, claiming their “big bellies” might explain why they seem to struggle to stay awake during official meetings.
“Kwanza nawaambia baadhi yenu mwende gym; acheni kula chakula kingi. Matumbo yamejaa hadi vichwa vinakaribia kupasuka. Mnalala kwenye mikutano hata mchana,” Ruto said.
Matiang’i replied that while he respects the presidency, the Head of State’s remarks deeply troubled him. He questioned why Ruto felt the need to worry about the dietary choices of opposition leaders.
“Rais wetu mimi namheshimu, na naheshimu ofisi yake. Ndio maana mimi sijaongea mambo yake mbeleni. Lakini leo ameanza sasa kututusi sisi, watu wote wa opposition,” he said.
The former Interior Cabinet secretary stressed that six decades after independence, Kenya deserves leaders who prioritize urgent national problems instead of launching personal attacks over body shape and diet.
“Yaani, nchi yetu leo, six decades after independence, ati at a presidential campaign level, tuanze kuongea mambo ya kukula. Ati nani anakula zaidi, nani anakula wapi. I am doing this with a lot of pain.”
He went on to defend his own eating habits, joking about his trips home for local food and wondering why Ruto seemed so bothered by his plate.
“First of all, mimi sijui kwanini unasumbuka vile mimi nakula, kwa sababu mimi sikuli kwa bibi yako. Hujaniona nikienda kutafuta chakula kwa bibi yako ama kwa watu wako. Mimi nakula ndizi kule Kisii kwetu na ugali. Sasa kama hiyo ndio inakusumbua, mbona mimi sijakuja kukuuliza vile wewe umekonda?” Matiang’i quipped.
Matiang’i reminded Kenyans of the high standards set by former presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta. He argued that the presidency should maintain its dignity by focusing on national matters rather than personal jabs.
“Tuko na heshima kubwa kwa hii nchi, na ile standard imeekwa na waliotangulia, Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki na Uhuru Kenyatta; hiyo ndio standard tunataka kwa hiyo ofisi ya rais. Lakini sasa unataka kuibua mjadala wa kukula, ili sasa tuanze kusema ni nani amekula mashamba hapa Narok. Unataka tuongee hiyo kweli?” he said.
The former CS challenged the President to address the country’s actual struggles instead of starting a debate about body weight. He pointed to missing SHA funds and the ongoing theft of public resources as the real issues demanding attention, noting that the opposition has practiced great restraint until now.
“Tumbo lisiloshiba linajulikana ni la nani. Unataka twende kwa huo mjadala badala ya kuzungumzia shida za wakenya. Pesa imepotea ya SHA, upororaji wa mali ya serikali unaendelea, unataka tuzungumzie hiyo kweli? We have really restrained ourselves.”
The post ‘Mimi Sikuli Kwa Bibi Yako’: Matiang’i Fires Back at Ruto’s ‘Big Bellies’ Jab appeared first on Bossnana.
