Cherargei Was My Student, His Performance Was Below Average, Murkomen Fires Back at Nandi Senator
- Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed calls for his resignation from Nandi senator Samson Cherargei, accusing him of persistently politicising his performance across ministries
- The two leaders clashed in the Senate during a heated session over the death of Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody
- Their feud spilled onto social media, where Cherargei refuted Murkomen’s claim of ever being his student
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
What began as a Senate session to seek answers about the death of a man in police custody turned into a fiery political exchange between two long-time rivals.
Source: UGC
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Nandi senator Samson Cherargei locked horns on Wednesday, June 11, during a Senate sitting.
Murkomen accused Cherargei of using the tragedy as another excuse for a politically motivated smear campaign aimed at tarnishing his record in government.
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“Cherargei has continued with his song of ‘the minister must resign’. It is important to mention that every time I come to this House since I was appointed a minister, this same senator has been talking about my resignation,” Murkomen said.
The CS, who previously led the ministries of Roads and Sports, claimed that Cherargei’s criticism had nothing to do with his actual performance, but was instead part of a recurring pattern.
“When I was the Minister of Roads, Cherargei said I should resign because of road accident deaths. When I left that ministry, he went quiet. At the Sports Ministry, he again said I must resign because national teams were performing poorly. Since I left, I haven’t heard him comment about volleyball or football performance. When I came to the Interior Ministry, he barely waited two months before saying I should resign again,” Murkomen added.
Was Cherargei Murkomen's student?
In a more personal jab, Murkomen claimed Cherargei was once his student, and not a particularly bright one.
“Cherargei was my student. I taught him more than two subjects, and his performance was below average. He has no legitimacy to question my competence or performance,” the CS told senators.
Source: UGC
Their war of words didn’t end in the Senate chamber; it spilled over onto social media, where both leaders traded barbs.
“For the record, Murkomen never taught me in any law class. He was just making political statements to save his skin from accountability and his poor performance at the Interior Ministry. How can an incompetent person teach me? It can't happen,” Cherargei wrote in a post.
He further pressed the CS to answer to a recent string of unresolved killings and security failures.
“He should instead answer Kenyans: Who killed Albert Ojwang, Catholic priest Allois Cheruiyot Bett, Father Maina, and the victims of the Angata Baragoi killings? What about the criminal gangs operating in Nakuru and Mombasa? He must resign,” Cherargei demanded.
In response, Murkomen’s political ally and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi came to his defence, accusing Cherargei of veiled attacks against President William Ruto.
“Stop going through the corners by attacking Murkomen when you know very well it’s Ruto you are targeting. Man up and face him directly,” said Sudi.
“We are not fools. We know your heart is in Wamunyoro (Rigathi Gachagua)'s camp. Be bold and cross over to serve your master freely,” he added.
Was Murkomen summoned by Senate?
The leaders were speaking before the Senate, where Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, and IPOA deputy CEO Anne Wanjiku had been summoned to provide clarity on the circumstances that led to the tragic death of blogger Albert Ojwang’.
Ojwang, a vocal social media commentator, was arrested at his father’s residence in Homa Bay under unclear circumstances and transported to Nairobi by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
He was booked at Central Police Station, where he reportedly died shortly after, sparking national outrage.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
