This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
January 7, 2020, marked a day of intense criticism for Nyali Member of Parliament Mohammed Ali on social media. The journalist-turned-politician had bragged online about the construction of a girls' secondary school in his constituency, set to be opened on January 13, 2020.
However, what sparked outrage was Ali's decision to name the school after himself, the Mohamed Ali Girls' School. This move was met with strong disapproval from Kenyans on Twitter, led by Nairobi lawyer Donald Kipkorir.
“Across ages and history, truly great and reformist leaders never left their names on any city, street or building… some even left a will that their bodies be buried in secret places so as not to be shrines… but in Kenya, small tinpot dictators put their names on public projects,” Kipkorir tweeted.
Ali fired back at the lawyer, saying, “Bata hata umlishe kokoto bado atahara. There is something we call public participation!” However, his response only fueled the criticism from Kenyans on Twitter.
Many took to Twitter to express their disappointment, with some suggesting that the school should be named after the constituency it serves, Nyali. Others criticized Ali for using public funds to build the school and then crediting himself for the project.
