Siaya Senator James Orengo has launched a scathing attack on Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen over his remarks that Raila Odinga was responsible for the forceful evictions at Mau Forest. Orengo is quoted saying that if there is one man who sired a fool, then it is Murkomen’s father.
“Can Murkomen really claim to be in government and the evictions are ongoing and he has no answer except to blame Raila? If there is any man who sired a foolish son, then Murkomen’s father is one,” he told mourners on Friday, July 20.
He further warned the Elgeyo Marakwet senator to desist from associaing Raila with the emotive Mau saga. “I challenge them to speak the truth, it shall set them free. They are spreading pure lies and they very well know the evictions were sanctioned by the Cabinet during the grand coalition government. People like Murkomen will soon realise how ignorant they are,” he added.
Orengo’s sentiments came hot on the heels of outbursts made by Murkomen during a meeting with the eviction casualties on Thursday, July 19, when he blamed Raila and 2022 politics for the evictions witnessed in the vast water tower. The leader also expressed concern on the use of the 2008 Hassan Noor Mau Task Force Report and not the 2015 tea buffer zone created by the Jubilee administration as a basis for the evictions.
“There are some people who recently joined the government through the backdoor and are working with some government officials to remove people from Mau. “In their memorandum which led to a peace deal, one of the agenda items was to evict people from Mau so that they create a wedge between the settlers and their leaders,” claimed Murkomen in reference to the Raila-Uhuru handshake.
His remarks were echoed by Suna East lawmaker Junet Mohammed, who bashed Murkomen for allegedly using the former Prime Minister’s name for political mileage. He termed Murkomen’s claims as ‘barks’, cautioning him against dragging the veteran politician’s name into the ongoing procedure spearheaded by Narok County Commissioner George Natembeya.
“Murkomen should stop barking and throwing everything at Raila. He must leave Raila out of the Mau issue. Kenyans are tired of such rhetoric,” he added.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja came out telling Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen to stop disrespecting President Uhuru Kenyatta by rubbishing the Head of State’s directives. According to Sakaja, the President must be respected as the Jubilee Party leader. Any issues arising from his quest to fight corruption and foster peace should be handled internally,
He further added saying, “Inciting Kenyans against Uhuru’s initiatives Building Bridges and the fight against corruption as well as undermining his leadership will no longer be acceptable.”
Nairobi Senator’s response was attributed by senator Murkomen’s remarks on Thursday while in Narok that opposition leader Raila Odinga was behind the Mau evictions in the spirit of the handshake. The Elgeyo Marakwet senator said the evictions were geared towards scuttling Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 bid by turning the affected communities against him. He was with nine Jubilee MPs.
On Friday last week, Sakaja termed Murkomen’s remarks as “disingenuous, underhand and disrespectful” to the President. speculations have emerged that there are growing concerns in ODM that Ruto is taking advantage of the truce between the ex-Prime Minister and President Kenyatta to raid Raila’s lieutenants and reposition himself.
Eight leaders from the Rift Valley who belong to Jubilee party have denied government involvement in the exercise claiming it was an orchestrated move meant to scuttle Jubilee Party’s 2022 succession plans. According to Murkomen, the President and his deputy were not aware of the evictions and hence concluding that the opposition leader had an hand in it.