Tough-talking Peter Munya puts foot in his mouth
Agriculture CS Peter Gatirau Munya is a man who takes no prisoners and shoots straight from the hip.
Always spotting a moustache, the man from Muthaara in Tigania East, Meru County, would have probably been an army general if politics did not come calling.
Tough-talking and not afraid to speak his mind, the 53-year-old made headlines last week over his utterances concerning the price of maize flour in the country.
The man from Ntamicu was a trending topic after he announced a price reduction of Sh2 on maize flour. As a result, an online conversation on what Sh2 can do for you dominated chatter.
The CS seems to have bit more than he could chew after announcing the suspension of all levies on imports for maize, an initiative he said is aimed at lowering the cost of maize flour to “manageable levels” for the next 90 days before the next harvest.
But what did Kenyans get in return after their expectations were raised by the announcement?
One Kenyan quipped: “CS Munya reducing unga price by Sh2 reminds me of a math I did in school where in every measured item, an error range of -1 or +1 is allowed.”
Nevertheless, the lawyer-turned-politician insisted the price drop will help.
With the turn of events making the government a laughing stock, the former governor added fuel to the fire instead of sitting back quietly and watching events unfold.
It appears when it comes to expressing his mind, Mr Munya – who chaired the debating club and won the provincial public speaking competition while at Meru School – does not seem to catch a break.
Unbothered, he asked Kenyans to find alternatives to maize meal in a bid to reduce dependence on the crop. Mr Munya said that Kenyans farm many other foods that they can turn to.
“It is good for Kenyans not to be eating one type of food and for our bodies to get the energy we have to use varieties of foods, not only maize, so that in such conditions we don’t suffer and stay hungry,” he said.
All said and done, the minister is not a stranger to controversy.
In 2020, the father of two said locusts ravaging crops and grass in different parts of the country are destined to die of old age and are not a threat to the country’s fragile food security. This was after a Senate committee had summoned him to explain his ministry’s plan to manage the swarms.
“Don’t be worried. They are going to die. They are yellow in colour. It means they are old locusts and they cannot harm crops. Their main concern now is looking for a place to lay their eggs,” he said.
In 2014, Mr Munya controversially threatened to charge more money to patients from other counties seeking treatment in Meru hospitals.
But there is nothing that beats the on-and-off beef between the former chairman of the Council of Governors with Governor Kiraitu Murungi.
Last month, he told off Mr Murungi for opposing new miraa regulations by his ministry, warning his successor that “if Kiraitu rattles me, he will surely get what he is asking for”.
Munya is not contesting for Meru governor as he is concentrating on national politics.
