This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's outburst in Kikuyu language on Sunday has sparked a heated debate within the Jubilee party, with some legislators calling for a parliamentary group meeting to resolve the crisis.
Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen believes the head of state has no reason to be angry, especially considering his age and position.
“I am concerned about the President's anger, as a second-term president, he should be inspiring. I am concerned when he looks frustrated because that permeates to the entire country,” noted Murkomen.
He added that the President's behavior is not only unbecoming but also inciting, saying, “If he was addressing the DP, he would have spoken in Swahili or English. Some of the MPs in central are very hardworking, like Alice Wahome, Ndindi Nyoro, and Kimani Ichungwa…in the contrary, the President should be thanking him. Why would the President who is almost 60 fight a man who is not even 30?”
According to Murkomen, the division within the party is so deep that it has led to the absence of a parliamentary group meeting for nearly 16 months, which is evident in the desire of many now.
“We need to have that meeting and iron out these differences,” said Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura.
However, Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju has stated that he can only call for a PG upon request by President Kenyatta.
The party last held such a meeting in February 2018, just before the opening of Parliament.
Observers believe that the differences within the party are so entrenched that they cannot be resolved in a single meeting.
