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Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Kipchumba Murkomen, has found himself at the center of a controversy following his recent remarks about Rwanda's governance system.
The comments were made during an interview on December 18, in response to inquiries about the challenges facing Kenya in restoring order on its roads, particularly in the realm of Public Service Vehicles (PSVs).
In a statement that has ignited heated discussions, CS Murkomen asserted, "Rwanda is not like Kenya. Rwanda is an autocracy, and there whatever the President says is the law. For every decision you make in this country, you must go through a proposal, then Parliament, then public participation.
"Then after you go through all the processes, you go through the court, and that is our country. You cannot compare the political situation in Rwanda and the size of the country with our country and our democracy. That is why we have to employ technology to deal with corruption and cartelism."
CS Murkomen's remarks not only drew attention to the differences in governance between the two nations but also raised eyebrows for the direct commentary on Rwanda's political system and its president.
The statement has since sparked controversy, with critics questioning the appropriateness of comparing Kenya's democratic processes to Rwanda's perceived autocracy.
Some argue that such comparisons risk straining diplomatic relations and could be perceived as undiplomatic.
Senior counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi weighed in on the matter, expressing his discomfort with CS Murkomen's comments.
"CS Murkomen can't attack a sovereign friendly state without provocation and disparage President Paul Kagame just like that. This is embarrassing. CSs must be taken through a crash course, teaching them the responsibilities that come with their new constitutional offices! Very soon, Kenya will be a pariah state in the hood!" he said.
This comes just days after Kenya found itself in the midst of a diplomatic dispute following the formation of the Congo River Alliance in Nairobi.
The alliance, which was launched on December 15, includes various Congolese armed groups, militias, and political organizations, as well as the M23 rebels, who have seized territory in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In response to this development, the Kenyan government has "strongly disassociated" itself from the alliance, stating that it is committed to investigating the origins of the misleading claims.
President William Ruto has also defended Kenya's refusal to arrest individuals associated with the alliance, emphasizing that Kenya is a country with a free press and cannot prevent anyone from engaging with the media.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who is in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government would investigate the political-military alliance and the individuals behind its formation.
Mudavadi, has made it clear that Kenya had no involvement in the meeting and has affirmed its non-involvement in the internal affairs of the DRC. The government has also emphasized its commitment to the security and democratic consolidation of the DRC.