This archive report was first published on 19 April 2020.
On April 19, 2020, Kenya was in the midst of a deadly pandemic, with 12 lives lost and over 260 people infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
At this critical juncture, the public spat between National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen was unfortunate, to say the least.
Instead of working together to address the pandemic, the two leaders were engaged in a verbal exchange, with Mr. Murkomen claiming that Parliament was 'dead' and Mr. Duale hitting back, declaring that Mr. Murkomen could not speak on behalf of the National Assembly.
As the President looked on, the feud between the two leaders was a distraction from the real issue at hand – the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed a grave challenge to the nation.
It was time for leaders to put aside their differences and work together to confront the crisis, rather than engaging in petty squabbles.
