President William Ruto is actively working to politically isolate former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i in his Gusii home turf ahead of the 2027 presidential race. This strategy involves courting defectors and empowering new power brokers to build a political firewall against Matiang'i's influence in Kisii and Nyamira counties.

• Several politicians, including Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya Aburi and former Jubilee ally Jonah Onkendi, have defected to Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
• UDA's regional anchors include South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro and Kitutu Chache North MP Japheth Nyakundi, with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba also part of grassroots mobilization.
• Despite high-profile defections, UDA suffered a defeat in three by-elections in November 2025 in Kisii and Nyamira, with all seats won by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which is aligned with Matiang'i.
• Matiang’i alleges that the Ruto administration is using intimidation, coercion, and offers of parastatal jobs to force his supporters to abandon him, claiming it’s a systematic campaign to politically suffocate him.
• Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, a staunch ally of Matiang’i, has rejected approaches from the ruling camp, reiterating his commitment to Matiang'i's national ambitions and opposition politics.