Leaders from Nakuru County are now demanding that Kanu and Jubilee parties institute disciplinary proceedings against Emurua Dikir MP Johanna Ng’eno and his Kapsaret counterpart Oscar Sudi over their public bashing of President Uhuru Kenyatta and former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta.
At the same time, the leaders have said that they were working on a petition to recall Bahati Member of Parliament Onesmus Kimani Ngunjiri who they accused of engaging in divisive and ethnically charged politics, aimed at derailing the President’s vision on the Big Four agenda, war against corruption and his legacy.
Addressing a press conference, former Nakuru Town Member of Parliament David Njuki Manyara called on MPs to refrain from insults and abusive language, which he said was polarizing the country along ethnic lines ahead of the 2022 general elections.
Manyara who was accompanied by Nakuru County Assembly Majority Leader who is also Elementaita MCA Moses Kamau and his Gilgil counterpart Jane Ngugi said the two lawmakers should be reprimanded and asked to retract what they termed as ‘vitriolic’ remarks directed at the first family.
They said Ngunjiri, Sudi and Ng’eno had failed the integrity test by hurling abusive remarks at the head of state and openly disrespecting leadership of parties that sponsored them to parliament.
This comes after Ng’eno, who was elected on a Kanu ticket and his Kapseret Jubilee counterpart Oscar Sudi were recorded uttering unsavory remarks against the head of state and his family.
Ng’eno was arrested on Monday evening by police officers over claims of incitement.
He is accused of inciting constituents and making offensive statements against the President and his family during a visit to Kiminnet in Transmara on Sunday.
Deputy President William Ruto later on Monday night distanced himself from the utterances made by the two leaders saying that “no amount of anger justifies the use of offensive insulting language” to the president.
On Tuesday, in a clip widely shared on social media platforms Sudi was filmed defending the Deputy President against what he terms as sabotage and intimidation while hurling unprintable statements against the former First Lady and her family.
Manyara said the two MPs’ remarks were a threat to national cohesion, which President Kenyatta always emphasizes on.
“Our leaders are now crossing the red line. The freedom enshrined in the Constitution has been negatively exploited by politicians for their own individual interests. It is bad for Jubilee politicians to demean the President’s family particularly the former First Lady,” said Mr Manyara.
“We want politicians from different political dispensations to put aside their political differences and ambitions and sit down and reason together for a united country,” he added.
On her part, the Gilgil ward representative issued a seven-day ultimatum to Mr Sudi to retract his statements directed at Mama Ngina Kenyatta and apologize to the former First Lady or face unspecified action.
Ms. Ngugi said it was unfair and an abuse on the dignity of parliament for an elected leader to hurl unprintable insults to the former First Lady.
She urged the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to summon both Sudi and Ng’eno to expound on their remarks.
“The government should stop funding and disband NCIC if it does not justify its existence by maintaining peace. It is failing in its mandate to push for the prosecution of perpetrators of violence. There is sufficient evidence against very many members of parliament and nothing stops the NCIC from taking legal action. Peace cannot be obtained by allowing inciters to carry on unchecked,” observed the Gilgil MCA.
The county assembly majority leader castigated a section of Jubilee legislators who have been demeaning the President in public, calling on the Head of State to crack the whip on defiant members.
Kamau said inflammatory statements were likely to tear the country apart, adding that leaders should instead of engaging in divisive politics, focus their energies on among others, dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that had exposed Kenyans to harsh economic times.
He called on politicians to focus on assisting the President deliver on his promises, instead of washing their dirty linen in public.
“The President would want to leave the country united at the end of his term and politicians, regardless of whom they support, should at least allow him to deliver on the promises he made to Kenyans,” he noted.
By Anne Mwale
