Nakuru Town West Member of Parliament Samuel Arama has called on politicians to desist from attacking civil servants, warning that it was setting a bad pattern as the country heads to the 2022 poll.
Mr Arama told off the former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko over his vicious attack on Interior Principal Secretary Dr Karanja Kibicho, telling Sonko to carry his own cross after his ouster.
Speaking during a public baraza held in Kaptembwa to sensitize the public on contents of Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, the MP said Sonko was being dishonest and unfair to direct personal attacks against government officials who “did not have a political platform to defend themselves.”
Arama also faulted the former governor for using abusive and derogatory language against the head of state, terming it as disrespect to a party leader who had supported Sonko’s ascend to country’s political leadership.
The MP called on Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe the former governor claiming that Sonko “had made numerous statements” in the past four years “incriminating himself” in atrocities against citizens and acts of lawlessness.
This comes after Sonko, while addressing a rally in Dagoretti South a week ago, claimed that together with Dr Kibicho they planned how to discredit ODM demos by violently organizing counter demonstrations with which they burnt down vehicles along Ngong Road in 2017.
He alleged that as part of the plan, they printed ODM T-shirts, bought second-hand cars and burnt them along Ngong Road disguised as the opposition to portray the Raila Odinga-led party as violent.
Arama denounced Sonko saying he did not act at the behest of Jubilee or top government officials but perpetrated the chaos on his own volition.
“Let it go on record that Sonko was acting on his own behalf and not on behalf of Jubilee and for political expediency and because he has already incriminated himself, then he needs to be charged on his own account,” said the MP.
He endorsed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report and promised to rally the public behind it ahead of the planned referendum.
Arama said he had resolved to back the BBI report since it “proposes an increase of county allocations to 35 per cent which will ensure the success of devolution due to provision of adequate resources to counties.”
“The report has good clauses particularly in regards to devolution and those that bring the nation together,” said the MP who was flanked by Nakuru West Deputy County Commissioner Michael Lesimam.
Mr Lesimam pointed out that the BBI document will bring a new dawn to Kenya. “It will enhance inclusivity of Kenyans and through the Ward allocation fund, further ensure that resources reach the grass root,” he said.
“Those with dissenting opinions, we agree there are some areas that may require strengthening. Let us talk to one another so that we make this conversation better for all of us,” Lesimam added.
The Deputy County Commissioner stated that whereas there may have been certain proposals that did not make it to the final report, its contents are positive and should be supported.
“Not everything was going to be in the report based on the regions, tribes or social interest groups. But those that have been captured are for the good of Kenyans and must be supported,” he said.
by Anne Mwale/Harriet Akinyi
