Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has finally addressed accusations of hypocrisy over his current stance on Miguna Miguna’s deportation stand-off.
Kenyans had embarked on a Twitter rampage calling out Murkomen for defending the troubled lawyer, yet in 2018 when Miguna was deported, he was one of the loudest politicians to bid Miguna good riddance.
This raised eyebrows as to why the leader of the majority in the senate all of a sudden seems to have had a change of heart, going by how vehemently he has, since Jan. 7, defended Miguna against travelling frustrations from the very government he serves.
The frustrations @MigunaMiguna is facing epitomizes the hypocrisy of Kenyan politics of “change”& “Kenya Mpya”. It paints ugly BBI&handshake. If we can’t embrace MM with his divergent ideas how shall we pretend to unite a nation?MM should facilitated as we should¬ frustrated
— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) January 8, 2020
In response to his tweets on how hypocritical the Building Bridges Initiative is relation to Miguna’s current predicament, netizens dug up Murkomen’s old posts around February and March 2018 when Miguna was kicked out of the country, where the Deputy President William Ruto ally sounded a little too happy about Miguna woes.
You once told us that one citizen #MIGUNAMIGUNA cannot hold 47million kenyans at ransom. What has changed? Political convenience? Stop the hypocrisy. #Migunahomecoming pic.twitter.com/ECvH4RlqPT
— Phelix G-Cord (@PhelixOchola) January 9, 2020
The Senator has, however, defended himself from critics, saying that him fighting for Miguna is not an act of hypocrisy rather, a demonstration of the true meaning of the Handshake spirit.
“Those of us who embrace the handshake with our actions&believe that we need Kenya mpya signified by dignified return of MM are not hypocrites,” Murkomen said Thursday.
Hypocrites are those who apologized after handshake&now pursue personal interests at the expense of those who suffered on their behalf. Those of us who embrace the handshake with our actions&believe that we need Kenya mpya signified by dignified return of MM are not hypocrites https://t.co/oYZgDehKWv
— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) January 9, 2020
According to him, the real hypocrites are those hiding behind the Handshake yet vexing Miguna on his right to return home.
He seemed to be indirectly referring to ODM leader Raila Odinga who, during the peak of the National Super Alliance (NASA) was a close ally of Miguna before entering a political truce with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“Hypocrites are those who apologized after handshake&now pursue personal interests at the expense of those who suffered on their behalf,” the senator added.