The recent headline by The Standard newspaper, criticizing Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi for his remarks on corruption, has sparked a heated debate.
The newspaper called Mbadi’s statement bizarre and suggested that it raised doubts about the government’s seriousness in fighting corruption.
Mbadi had stated that if corruption could not be eradicated, those who steal should at least invest the stolen money within Kenya rather than hiding it in foreign countries.
His comments received backlash from leaders and governance experts, who felt he was indirectly endorsing corruption.
However, Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma has reacted strongly to The Standard’s coverage of the issue.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Kaluma dismissed the publication, saying he was least bothered by what the media house reported.
He shifted the focus of his reaction to ethnic bias in the discussion surrounding Mbadi.
Kaluma claimed that some Kenyans, particularly from the Kikuyu community and other non-Luo groups, were attacking Mbadi because they mistakenly assumed he was Luo.
He argued that Mbadi, who comes from the Suba community was unfairly targeted by tribal sentiments.
“I am least bothered by what the dead Standard Media Group publishes. Instead, I am concerned that Kikuyus and other non-Luos think that Hon. Mbadi who is Suba is a Luo and thus deserving their tribal vomit!” Kaluma wrote.
Kaluma’s reaction shifts attention from Mbadi’s corruption remarks to the larger issue of ethnic divisions in Kenya’s political landscape.
As discussions continue, it remains to be seen how Mbadi himself will respond to both the media scrutiny and the ethnic debate surrounding his controversial statement.
https://x.com/gpdkaluma/status/1906123389557002563?t=rUCOzbwxOCCouI6DtSEr4Q&s=19
