Samson Cherargei’s acerbic tongue leads him into trouble ... yet again
Nandi Senator Samson Kiprotich Cherargei is fast cutting a niche for himself in Parliament as a rabble-rouser and a trouble-maker par excellence.
Armed with a sharp tongue and an enviable knack for controversy, the 34-year-old is unashamedly on a mission to fill the void left by his infamous former colleagues who have made the term “honourable” look like a misnomer.
The second-term senator is in a sprint race with his counterpart, Karen Nyamu, on who will be crowned the “king or queen” of infamy in Parliament.
Not to rest easy as Ms Nyamu hogged the limelight the past weeks, the lawyer made sure his presence was felt in Parliament on Friday during the tabling of a report on Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s impeachment.
The University of Moi alumnus disparaged his colleagues for letting Governor Mwangaza off the hook, alleging that the special committee considering the impeachment “legitimised temporary impunity”.
Despite being given numerous opportunities by Speaker Amason Kingi to apologise and retract the statement, Mr Cherargei stood firm in Gumo’s kaa ngumu mantra and defied the Speaker’s orders, saying, he cannot be gagged.
“I cannot be gagged unless the Senate has changed. The Constitution gives us the right of opinion and expression. We will not use the Senate to gag some of our opinions and I stand by my words,” he stood his ground.
Daring the Speaker with his disorderly conduct, the Speaker obliged and threw him out of Parliament’s precincts, handing him an early New Year gift.
Maybe the last straw that broke the camel’s back was when he referred to Mr Kingi as the “umpaya” (read umpire) of the Senate which the ex-Kilifi governor could have heard as “kumbaya”.
However, the senator is not new to controversy. In fact, he has gained notoriety for his controversial streak which has seen him even arrested. If he is not clashing with other politicians, he is inciting people to violence.
Back in 2019, while addressing a public gathering during a fundraiser for Kilibwoni Football Club, he caused a storm by allegedly inciting Kalenjins against other communities.
“We are not squatters in Kenya and if they want, we will step on each other until they know they actually don’t know or we will close down this country,” the senator said.
The statement would earn him a date with the court where he was faced with charges of ethnic contempt.
In 2021, the senator was captured in a short video clip warning people opposed to Dr William Ruto of unspecified consequences during the funeral of Dominic Choge in Olessos.
He told them that, if they continued fighting Dr Ruto, then they will be marked, profiled and when the time comes, they will be dealt with.
Causing a disturbance
But his behaviour knows no bounds. In March 2022, a Nairobi court directed that he be probed for causing a disturbance in court.
He was accused of unruly conduct during the hearing of his case on hate speech by trying to stall the trial through theatrics.
Senator Cherargei’s acerbic tongue also takes no prisoners. In the lead up to 2022 elections, he took on former First Lady Mama Ngina, telling her to keep off politics and instead focus on raising her grandchildren. He further advised her to attend kesha (overnight prayer vigils) and pray for Kenya.
His contribution to debates in the Senate has often left people on the edge with his loose and untamed tongue his main undoing.
On March 23, 2021, ex-Siaya Senator James Orengo asked him to take tutorials so that, next time he opens his mouth, he knows what he is saying. This is after he caused a storm in the House with his utterances.
Former Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula was also incensed, telling him to take baby steps and learn from the Kabuchai by-election experience where he was arrested alongside three of his colleagues for allegedly intimidating voters and causing chaos leading to being locked at Bungoma Police Station.
