Matiang’i Pledges Lean Government to End Wasteful Spending

Presidential aspirant Fred Matiang’i has pledged that his first priority in office will be to streamline government operations and curb the widespread wastage of public resources.

Speaking to NTV on Wednesday, Matiang’i criticized the current administration under President William Ruto, claiming it has overspent on illogical payments and maintained a bloated government structure that drains national resources.

“The kind of country we have right now, I don’t understand the size of government we have. It is a drain on government resources. Sometimes, poor prioritization of government programmes is a way you cut waste,” Matiang’i said.

He added, “Governments are very wasteful. Even when I was in government, there were things I saw that we could do without. Every administration manages it differently. This one has taken it to a whole new level. If you have a truckload of advisors and all manner of people, all the overheads we incur are essentially wastage.”

Matiang’i said the misuse of funds has particularly affected critical sectors such as education. He highlighted the dismantling of the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which he introduced while leading the Education docket. The web-based system tracked students, teachers, and resource allocation, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce waste.

“When this was interfered with, it means you don’t have accurate data of the learners and people you are supposed to spend resources on. My suspicion is someone wanted to issue a new tender and make money because the system could have been improved, not scrapped. All resources that were spent on it were wasted,” Matiang’i explained.

The Ministry of Education replaced NEMIS with the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) in June 2025, claiming it would resolve errors from the old system. However, Matiang’i argued both systems performed the same function, and the overhaul resulted in unnecessary loss of public funds.

Launched in 2017 with a World Bank grant, NEMIS reportedly faced financial inconsistencies and a lack of proper auditing. Officials later revealed that around Ksh. 1.3 billion had been lost to fraud and ghost schools, further fueling concerns over mismanagement.

Matiang’i said his vision for government includes tighter controls on expenditure, better prioritization of national programmes, and transparent oversight to ensure resources support the country’s development rather than lining the pockets of a few.

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