Foreign PS Macharia refuses to take back ‘foolish’ slur
Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Amb Macharia Kamau has refused to apologise after calling a Kenyan ‘foolish’ for demanding accountability on development loans and projects.
Macharia had insulted Jerotich Seii who was in a KTN Inside Politics show as a panelist discussing the government inconsistency regarding President Uhuru Kenyatta’s trip to china in search for SGR funds.
During the show, Seii had expressed her views on the SGR project not achieving its intended economic purpose and how the country was getting into more debt for projects she deemed inconsequential.
Macharia hit back resurrecting development projects in independent Kenya stating that if the country had refused to incur debt back then no development would have been achieved.
OFFENSIVE REMARK
What angered Kenyans online was his offensive reference to Seii prompting netizens to demand that he apologises.
“Can you imagine what her ilk would have said at the turn of the 19th Century? Kilindini Harbour and the “lunatic express” being built on loans as it was. It’s a wonder we are still not slaves!! Where do they find these nincompoops? Where would Kenya be without the loans and rail?” he wrote.
“Free speech in Kenya is the scream of cliche, ignorance and psychological dementia brought on by minds warped by thousands of western financed workshops and freebie “training programs. We don’t need a million Chinese at our gates to ruin our country, not with our talking heads,” he added.
KTN’s Ben Kitili, who was moderating the panel wrote, “Bwana PS, if this is your real account, Kenyans expect more sobriety and class from a diplomat of your stature… why the arrogance when your government is simply being asked to be accountable for the debt Kenyans are incurring?”
NO APOLOGIES
Kenya Tourism Federation’s Mohammed Hirsi commented on Macharia’s tweet saying, “You just insulted a Kenyan expressing her views. What did you just call @JerotichSeii ? Terrible coming from a man of your status. That is NOT diplomatic lingo besides her message was NOT directed at you. Firstly you are a civil servant and learn to address us with respect.”
A youth leader Betty Akinyi wrote, “Dear Ambassador, How does it feel calling a fellow Kenyan demanding change, accountability and better services *N… You could have made your point without making such derogatory remarks. Disappointed fellow Kenyan.”
Forest Action Network’s Dominic Walubengo wrote, “Ambassador, please maintain your cool; be diplomatic!”
Macharia has however refused to apologise and on Wednesday he wrote: “Ok guys. Some clarity. Free speech is sacrosanct. That was never my contention. Mine is the manner of the uptake by some. The reason I like this medium is precisely because it avails feedback. Some welcome, some not so. But all good. And FYI the views here are personal. Tuendele!”