Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria is a man who is never short of controversies and this time around he has stunned Kenyans online after warning them of elections violence ahead of the 2022 race.
The vocal MP took to social media on Saturday morning to ‘prepare’ Kenyans for an ugly confrontation among politicians in 2022 after Thursday’s chaotic Kibra by-elections that saw nasty clashes among leaders.
While referring to an incident when Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati allegedly ordered rowdy youth to beat up Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, Kuria said that politicians would depend on goons and not on the police, who were conspicuously absent during the incident.
“I am still in shock that Kenyans are making fun of the violence meted upon Boni Khalwale and Didimus Baraza (sic) in Kibra. It is public knowledge that I was NOT supporting McDonald Mariga but we should give everyone a chance to campaign freely anywhere,” Kuria posted on Facebook.
The said scuffle occurred as Barasa, who is allied to Deputy President William Ruto, was calmly speaking with Arati when goons arrived and slapped him severally as others shoved him. They also roughly grabbed his signature red cap off his head before he was forced out of the polling station at the DC Grounds.
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale was also chased away from Kibra’s Laini Saba ward after rowdy Kibra residents threw stones and hurled insults at him.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Khalwale, who was a key campaigner for Jubilee candidate McDonald Mariga, was protected by his supporters who walked with him while he was chased.
“Simba Arati ordering goons to beat Didimus Baraza infront of cameras is despicable. Since Fred Matiangi and the security system has said nothing about this, I presume it’s fair game and we should all depend on goons not on the police,” Kuria added.
Kuria also mocked ‘The Handshake’ between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga for not serving its intended purpose of curbing election violence. The ODM candidate, Imran Okoth, was branded the ‘The Handshake Candidate’ in the run-up to the November 7 by-elections.
“The handshake was meant to resolve issues such as electoral violence. That this happened in the handshake bedroom speaks volumes about the Building Battalions Initiative. Let’s all build our own goons battalions ahead of 2022,” he said.
Kuria’s post sparked massive reaction, with many supporting his sentiments. Here are some of the reactions we captured:
