The Murkomen, Kutuny interview that went up in flames

Save for those in their inner circles, not many really knew just how much Majority Leader in the Senate Kipchumba Murkomen and Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny loathe each other until they sat down for an interview on Tuesday night.

Politicians do put up a show for the cameras but these two it appears, really hate each other. Yes, hate is a strong word but that is the only way to describe these two.

Even before the cameras went on, the two were not even looking at each other and while they tried to hold themselves, it was like to hold back a bad cough, only a matter of time before everything goes spilling and that is exactly what happened.

In a heated debate during Citizen TV’s News Night on the woes facing maize farmers in the country, the two leaders traded accusations on various issues some searing into the personal.

“Kuttuny, you have the audacity to speak ill against William Ruto. You have forgotten that it is the DP, who picked you when you were selling charcoal and introduced you to politics,” Mr Murkomen told Mr Kuttuny who did not hold back.

“And you are forgetting that I am the one who was taking care of you back in the day. I was giving you upkeep money on a weekly basis. I have the M-Pesa statements to prove that. My wife sent you money, Murkomen. I gave you the first car, a Toyota Harrier, to use in your campaigns in the run-up to 2013 general election. Respect your elders,” Mr. Kutunny blasted Murkomen.

This, remember, was supposed to be a debate on the politics of maize that have seen the president intervene after it was revealed that traders were paid out billions at the expense of farmers.

But maize was in the back banner for most of the time and the flames were all over the studio that even the host Hussein Mohammed couldn’t contain.

Try as he did, these two bulls were locked at each other and Hussein was just a spectator just like the millions watching at home.

During the interview, Murkomen alleged that Kuttuny has been adversely mentioned by the Akasha brothers, who pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking charges in the US on October 25.

“When the trumpet shall be called, my friend here will have nowhere to run,” claimed Murkomen.

When asked to place evidence of his allegations, Murkomen dared the Cherangany legislator to press charges if he had lied about his involvement in the narcotics trade.

“If I am wrong, there are legal mechanisms to sue me for defamation,” retorted Murkomen.

Kuttuny, however, played down Murkomen’s allegations as “mere propaganda” saying he had more important issues to deal with rather than engage in rhetoric.

“I don’t want to talk to people whose ground looks slippery, just the same way “they linked me to the ICC case against William Ruto,” said Kuttuny.

This comes even as details continue to emerge of what led the Akasha brothers to plead guilty to charges of smuggling hard drugs to the United States of America. The US government, it is reported have names of prominent politicians, judges and lawyers who tried to help the Akashas.

Baktash and Abdalla Akasha were extradited to the U.S in January 2017.

On maize, the little the two managed to talk about before the dam breach, Kuttunny placed the blame on Deputy President’s doorstep.

The Cherangany MP blamed the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, for “not paying” maize farmers, instead channeling the money to “cartels and middlemen”.

He hit out at Deputy President William Ruto, for allegedly fanning the pain facing farmers in the North Rift; and through “cartels” allied to him, pocketing millions of shillings from NCPB, at the small-scale farmers’ expense.

Politics is strange for don’t be surprised when we see these two shaking hands in some weekend rally in a village somewhere having forgiven each other.