An elder cannot sleep in a bus — Kiraitu Murungi

Meru senator Kiraitu Murungi and leader of the Alliance Party of Kenya (APK), famously known as the ‘Mbus Party has said he is an elder who cannot spend a night in a bus.

“When I take a bus and it gets me to my destination, I disembark and get on with other business,” he told a Methodist Church of Kenya harambee last weekend. “There are those who want us to sleep in a bus but as an elder I cannot do that.”

Reacting to comments from Meru governor Peter Munya who has opposed moves to fold the party during the Jubilee merger, the Senator told the rally that the bus was purchased purposely to carry its members across the 2013 elections river.

“It perfectly did that and as you know, we emerged with our fair share of senatorial, parliamentary and county seats and that was that. Now we need to disembark from the bus and get into another vessel for next year’s elections,” he added.

He criticised those who wished to see the party retained by using the analogy of the bus to drive home his point.

He said: “We got to the destination and there are those euphoric ones who don’t want to disembark. And we are asking: What are we supposed to do? Sleep in the bus? Well, not me.”

Murungi said his political detractors are also spreading baseless allegations that the APK had been sold off.

“Do not listen to such idle talk otherwise let them also tell you who has bought off The National Alliance (TNA) and United Republican Party (URP) which are also being folded into the Jubilee Party.

The senator, however, said his fallout with Peter Munya was not personal and that he considered him a learned friend and a worthy in-law. He also compared the Meru political dilemma to that of the biblical Jacob who worked in Laban’s household for seven years to get a wife but was offered Leah and had to work another seven years to get Rachel.

“We are saying in 2013, we did not get the right choice but are prepared to work another seven years to get Rachel,” he said.