Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe, has strongly condemned remarks attributed to Nyeri Governor regarding the demise of former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, terming them culturally repugnant, morally indefensible and politically retrogressive.
Speaking on Tuesday at KICC during the launch of the 5th National Agribusiness Summit, Kagwe has described Dr Mutahi Kahiga’s comments as insensitive and disrespectful to the grieving family and the nation at large.
“As the only Cabinet Secretary from Nyeri and a former Nyeri Senator, I want to state clearly that we are mourning. We, together with the rest of Kenyans, and Nyeri people are mourning. I am personally mourning,” Kagwe said.
“If you speak ill of people who have passed on, it is culturally repugnant. When you do so, there are certain rites you must undertake to avoid curses that may befall you. Those remarks are made on one’s own behalf and have nothing to do with the rest of the community,” added the CS.
He cautioned public figures against making divisive or hurtful statements that inflame emotions and erode national unity.
The CS emphasized that leadership demands restraint, empathy and moral discipline, particularly during moments of national loss.
“As leaders, we must always be careful about what we say. Such statements are retrogressive. It is not in anybody’s interest to make remarks that can bring about division. As human beings, it is deeply insensitive to utter words that can hurt people at a time when their feelings are vulnerable and emotive,” declared Kagwe.
The CS clarified that Dr Kahiga’s views were personal and did not represent the people of Nyeri or the national leadership, urging Kenyans to rise above politics and show compassion at all times.
“Morally, it is indefensible to make remarks that, within our community and within the realm of the human race, we simply do not make. We sympathize in such situations, and therefore, all I can say is this, ‘we are mourning with the rest of Kenyans, and we must never mistake such insensitive remarks as representing anyone else apart from those who made them,” the CS said.
Kagwe’s censure comes just a few hours after Dr Kahiga issued an apology for gloating over the death of Raila and terming it a blessing in disguise for the people of Mount Kenya who feel sidelined in resource allocation.
It also comes after the governor’s announcement that he had stepped down as the Vice-chairperson of the Council of Governors following a public outburst over his remarks about the former premier’s death.
by Wangari Mwangi & Samuel Maina
