The wise man was never wrong when he said ‘an apple never falls far from the tree.” This is the same story that resonates in the ruling Kenyatta’s family.
Most people have questioned President Uhuru Kenyatta’s outburst. Some legislatures have even stated that his anger was unwarranted.
But the anger runs deep in the blood. His father, the first President of the Republic of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta also in various occasions vented his anger publicly.
History repeats itself. Like father like son#PressPass pic.twitter.com/HK3ltRw6Mw
— MuthuiMkenya 🇰🇪 (@MuthuiMkenya) June 17, 2019
One memorable moment is when President Jomo Kenyatta went on a two-day tour of Western Kenya, three years after his Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga instigated a mass exit from then ruling party, Kanu, and formed the Kenya Peoples’ Union (KPU) in 1966.
Mr Kenyatta arrived in Kisumu to preside over the opening of the Soviet-built New Nyanza Provincial General Hospital, better known as Russia.
The ceremony ended in a bloodbath with the presidential guard and the police fatally shooting more than 50 people after a commotion on the presidential podium.
Jaramogi and other KPU officials were arrested and taken to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison on October 27, 1969.
This is after Mzee Jomo Kenyatta promised to crush the rebel KPU members.
This quite resembles President Uhuru’s recent outburst where he even referred to political leaders as ‘thugs.’
“These thugs that we elected are busy politicking. They should not think I am their boy, they will not stop me from constructing roads. They didn’t look for votes on my behalf. I went looking for my votes. These rubbish should stop bothering me,” said Kenyatta.
Just like his father threaten to crush the KPU members, Uhuru also also stated his determination to flush out the detractors of his rule.
“When they see me remain silent, they should not think they are threatening me. I will flush them out from where they are… Just because you are making headlines, don’t think you will bother me. And that is why I stopped concentrating on newspapers or those Facebooks of theirs,” said the President.
The anger runs deep. Maybe some people will justify that as a form of exercising authority.
But it is not the first time President Uhuru Kenyatta is venting his anger. After Mt Kenya legislatures led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria and Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri claiming that Uhuru has neglected Central Kenya in the Development agenda, he responded by calling them “Washenzi.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta also found himself hurling harsh words at Governor Nanok by calling him all manner of names including ‘Mshenzi, mjinga, mshetani.” This exchange emanated following wrangles in sharing of revenue from Turkana oil fields.