NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 31 – Jubilee Party Deputy Leader and 2027 presidential hopeful Fred Matiang’i has dismissed President William Ruto’s call for a national conversation on Kenya’s post-Vision 2030 development agenda as a distraction from what he termed the administration’s constitutional failures, deteriorating security and weakening of public institutions.In a statement issued on Friday after President Ruto announced plans to launch nationwide consultations on August 12 to develop a successor blueprint to the Kibaki-era Vision 2030, Matiang’i argued that the country should first confront what he described as a growing governance crisis.“President William Ruto’s proposal to launch a national conversation on Kenya’s development post-Vision 2030 is a clear case of misplaced priority,” Matiang’i said.“This is only meant to divert our attention from Ruto’s gross violations of the Constitution and leadership failures that are pressuring him to address.”Ruto announces dialogue to shape post-Vision 2030 KenyaThe former Interior Cabinet Secretary questioned the President’s call for a dialogue centred on Kenya’s long-term development, saying the government had yet to restore public confidence in security, constitutionalism and the rule of law.He accused the administration of failing to curb criminality, citing attacks on motorists along major highways, assaults on places of worship and incidents in which political leaders have been targeted during public rallies.“It is a contradiction that Ruto has the temerity to lecture us about human rights and the patriotic clauses of our Constitution when he has failed to address cases of rampant thuggery and the wanton breakdown of law and order in our country,” he said.Matiang’i also claimed that State institutions had increasingly become subservient to the Executive, arguing that any national conversation should begin with strengthening institutional independence and constitutional governance.He referenced recent remarks by former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, who has publicly criticised the concentration of power within government, saying the comments reflected broader concerns about the functioning of public institutions.“Does William Ruto have the basic tolerance and the necessary respectful attitude towards public institutions to mobilize the country and steer the so-called new conversation?” Matiang’i posed.He further questioned the credibility of a fresh national dialogue, citing what he described as a growing trust deficit in government and pointing to unresolved commitments under the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) process, the formation of the broad-based government and other promises he said remain unfulfilled.“As Kenyans, we must never lose hope. We will turn the page on August 10, 2027 and embark on a more trustworthy journey towards fixing our nation,” he said.Matiang’i’s remarks add to mounting criticism from opposition leaders over President Ruto’s proposal to initiate a nationwide conversation that will culminate in a new long-term development blueprint to succeed Vision 2030, which was launched by former President Mwai Kibaki in 2008.Earlier, former Chief Justice David Maraga, who is also expected to contest the 2027 presidential election, similarly argued that Kenya does not require another national dialogue but the full implementation of the Constitution and accountability for alleged governance failures.Maraga tears into Ruto’s address, says Kenyans deserve answersRuto’s proposed post-Vision 2030 dialogue is already emerging as a key political battleground ahead of the 2027 General Election with opposition figures launching an o.