Loose tongues: Kenya's long list of leaders who put their foot in mouth

Kenya’s political landscape is replete with court jesters who shot to infamy for their toxic tongues and a misguided mission to defend their kings.

Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno and his Kapseret counterpart Oscar Sudi have sparked outrage with utterances that have made Deputy President William Ruto in whose name they were protesting to disown them.

They join a long list of loud mouths whose words have come to haunt them.

Zealous defender

There was once Peter Habenga Okondo whose zealous defence of President Daniel arap Moi prompted him to warn Archbishop Alexander Muge not to set foot in Busia “as you will see fire and may not leave alive”.

The archbishop was killed on his way home from Busia the following day.

Okondo resigned from his cabinet position and died a disgraced man.

Others who come to mind include Kihika Kimani, Kariuki Chotara, Shariff Nassir and Wilson Leitich, the latter being infamous for a 1990 order on Kanu youth wingers in Nakuru to chop cut off the fingers of multiparty crusaders and their supporters.

Then there is Mr Reuben Ndolo, he of the ukiona wao, weka taya (if you see them, burn them with tyres) infamy.

Last year, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei was arraigned for incitement. He had reportedly said: “We are profiling them and will deal with them when time comes,” apparently referring to Ruto detractors.

DP in a tight spot

The scathing remarks against President Kenyatta, his mother and father by Mr Sudi and Mr Nge’no have put the DP in a tight spot.

“Leaders should exercise restraint and avoid insults... against other Kenyans. Unsavoury words against mothers and the Head of State is a no, no. No amount of anger justifies the use of offensive, insulting language. There are decent ways to communicate however one feels,” he tweeted on Monday.

Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju said the magnitude of the two lawmakers’ statements calls for the DP to publicly condemn them beyond the tweet.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli also waded into the debate yesterday.

“We have heard the Deputy President say he will not attack President Uhuru Kenyatta directly but the people who are abusing the Head of State are his foot soldiers. What is the difference?” he asked.

Raila cautions

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday cautioned against “beating the drums of war”. 

“We went to war in 1992, 1997 and 2007 and nobody should try to take this country to war again,” Mr Odinga said.

ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohamed was even more direct in his criticism of the DP.

“Ruto should spare this country the politics of war, threats and violence. It’s dishonest and old school for Ruto to send his people to insult other leaders...and then pretend to be telling them to stop,” Mr Mohamed, himself having been in trouble for remarks against the President, said.

For the Ruto allies, the drive to make him take blame for the utterances attributed to Mr Ng’eno and Mr Sudi is dishonest.

Former senators Johnson Muthama (Machakos) and Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) demanded to know why the President and Mr Odinga were not asked to apologise for their allies’ offensive remarks.

Saying Mr Odinga’s swearing himself in as president brought the country on the brink of war, Dr Khalwale said Raila was “qualified” to lecture the DP.

The Ruto camp cited statements by Narok Senator Ledama Olekina and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino’s slur against Mr Kenyatta.

“The utterances were made in public. Not a single MP or any other supporter of the DP asked Raila to apologise,” Mr Muthama said.

Lately, the Ruto camp has claimed the President is privy to Jubilee Vice-Chairman David Murathe’s bold attacks on the DP, arguing that Mr Kenyatta has never defended his deputy.

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