Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has sharply condemned remarks made by the Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga regarding the demise of opposition leader 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 who is the only Cabinet Secretary from Nyeri and a former Senator of the county, said he was personally mourning alongside millions of Kenyans, describing the Governor’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, are Nyeri people and 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.”
The CS emphasized that leadership demands restraint, empathy and moral discipline, particularly during moments of national loss. He cautioned public figures against making divisive or hurtful statements that inflame emotions and erode national unity.
“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,” Kagwe added. “As human beings, it is deeply insensitive to utter words that can hurt people at a time when their feelings are vulnerable and emotive.”
Kagwe underscored that the Nyeri Governor’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.
“Morally, it is indefensible to make remarks that, within our community and within the realm of the human race, we simply do not make,” he said. “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’s strong rebuke comes amid widespread public outrage over the Governor’s comments, which many Kenyans have described as disrespectful to the late Raila Odinga and his family, and contrary to the values of unity and decency expected from elected leaders.
