Kabogo, Kiunjuri battles escalate

Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has pointed his guns at embattled Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri in what pundits say could be a pointer to the former’s ambition of being a key Mt Kenya political figure.

Kiunjuri is a man walking a tight rope -- he has twice been publicly reprimanded by President Uhuru Kenyatta for dragging his feet on the maize scandal and has now been forced into a corner by the former governor.

Kabogo is not pulling any punches in his fight against the CS and has been one of the loudest voices calling for his resignation over his handling of the maize scandal.

In a Mashujaa Day post on Twitter after Uhuru put Kiunjuri to task over the maize crisis, Kabogo urged the CS to resign.

Call to resign

“Bwana Kiunjuri resign before the chief gets you, it’s imminent that he’ll catch up with you,” Kabogo said.

Later, he tweeted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to investigate Kiunjuri’s role in the maize crisis.

But not one to go down easily, Kiunjuri shot back at Kabogo in a veiled threat that Kabogo later laughed off, during a press conference.

“To my haters, I have listened to you carefully, even on social media. Some of you are politically frustrated. You look for anything to make yourself relevant. I assure that when the right time and moment comes I will deal with you,” Kiunjuri said.

Kabogo waved off the remarks as ‘empty threats’ and advised the CS to put his focus on the more important task of finding those culpable in the maize scandal.

Yet Kiunjuri has not been short of supporters like Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who has told off critics of the Cabinet Secretary.