Turkana Cultural Festival, Tobong‘u Lore, was on Friday turned into a political battlefield after Uasin Gishu County Governor Jackson Mandago and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed fiercely attacked each other in front of ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
The exchange started when Hon Junet indirectly accused the DP of doing little to have the works on Kitale, Lodwar road completed. When invited on to the stage, Mandago who was spitting fire accused Junet of propagating about the state of Lodwar-Kitale road without first having proper facts on the same.
“I want to assure President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto that all contractors are on the ground and that construction works are going on as planned in Lodwar-Kitale road. The problem with Junet here is that he usually fly in and out of this place. He has never used the road in order to access the situation” said Mandago.
Mandago further asked Raila Odinga to allow him to take Junet back by road so that he can witness the ongoing construction works something that will make the legislator stop peddling lies on the same.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago to Deputy President William Ruto "Wewe umezoea kuenda na ndege, twende na wewe kwa barabara uone vile contractors wanafanya kazi." #TobonguLore2019 #TurkanaFestival pic.twitter.com/gtIe50YnbI
— ktn (@KTNKenya) August 16, 2019
Earlier on, Turkana County Governor Josphat Nanok also faulted Odinga for distributing benefits accrued from March 9 handshake with Kenyatta among his close allies in his Nyanza turf, the western and coastal region.
It was however not Junet verses Mandago war of words that captured the attention of social media users rather the Standard Media House that falsely reported the scenario.
In their report, the Standard through its TV station KTN Kenya reported that Governor Mandago was attacking Dr. William Ruto instead of Suna East MP.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago to Deputy President William Ruto “Wewe umezoea kuenda na ndege, twende na wewe kwa barabara uone vile contractors wanafanya kazi.” Posted KTN on Twitter.
Furious Kenyans took to their site to castigate Standard Group of false reporting with some relating it to the fact that the media station is largely owned by Moi’s family under Baringo Senator Gideon Moi who is considered as DP William Ruto’s bitter rival in Rift Valley.
Here are some of the comments from Twitter;
Mandago was not addressing the DP. .he was not present today..😀😀😀😁😈ktn is overworking to impress their boss
— Eric Tanui (@etanui03) August 16, 2019
Dear KANU Television Network, Mandago was speaking to Baba and to his Turkana people
— Albert Chess (@alchess) August 16, 2019
Media who bewitched you
— Peter Serete (@PeterSerete1) August 16, 2019
Propaganda mutawacha… Ktn mzoe kuuza GMO vizuri
— Tangus Wesley (@tanguskibet) August 16, 2019
Media😂😂Awuoro!!!
— Ogega ogega (@ogega_ogega) August 16, 2019