Did we elect the right leaders? Kenyans wonder as Babu, Kuria attack each other on social media

Gatundu South Member of Parliament (MP) Mose Kuria and his Embakasi East counterpart Paul Ongiri aka Babu Owino have once again displayed an ugly side of leadership in a renewed social media bitter exchange.

The bitterness between the two was triggered when Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja went to Parklands Police Station where Babu had been held for two nights for allegedly assaulting a parking lot attendant.

Senator Sakaja, who was elected on a Jubilee ticket walked into the police station on Sunday, January 21 and said the assault accusations were petty. He criticized the police for politicising the criminal justice system and gave a personal surety to produce him at the Milimani Law Court on Monday at 8 am.

The move did not sit well with some Jubilee lawmakers led by Gatundu South Moses Kuria and Kikuyu legislator Kimani Ichung'wa who bashed Sakaja, calling him a National Super Alliance (NASA) Coalition sympathizer.

They accused Sakaja of being in NASA and only holding on to Jubilee in order to win the Nairobi senatorial seat.

Kuria, who is known for being vocal said that he has been in the cells in 2015 and no one bailed him out. He further went ahead to say that Sakaja shouldn’t have bailed out Babu. “Somebody went to get a small boy from the cells instead of helping the boy who has a long way to go to learn to respect the rule of law,” Kuria complained.

Senator Sakaja, however, was defended by a section of Nairobi Jubilee and NASA MCAs, women and youth leaders who said he is the only politician who has been advocating for youths and women agenda in Parliament.

“As leaders, we need to respect those who were elected by the people. We don’t want tribalism in Nairobi. That is why we in NASA respect our governor and senator," said South C MCA Osman Khalif. "Nairobi is a metropolitan county which has no room for tribalism. That is why we have a governor, woman representative, and Senator from different tribes," Nominated MCA June Ndegwa echoed him.

The exchange between Babu and Kuria did not end there after Babu threw a jibe at the latter, saying he once led in the Student Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) in a position meant for women. He further said he wouldn’t argue with a village leader.

Kuria, on the other hand, reiterated, saying Babu was born when he was in SONU, and that the Former Nairobi Gubernatorial candidate Miguna Miguna one held the said position.

The exchange between the two has left many Kenyans on their social media accounts wondering why elected leaders would take time to engage in such battles instead of serving their constituents.