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Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei on Friday exchanged bitter words over roads contracts.
The two are President William Ruto’s key allies.
The CS told off Cherargei over the senator’s earlier remarks that a contractor from his local community should be awarded a roads tender in the county.
Speaking in the local Kalenjn dialect, Murkomen strongly criticised Cherargei for allegedly opposing one of the contractors chosen to pave a road simply because he was not a Kalenjin.
The furious CS told the senator that at least President William Ruto was not using ‘his brain’.
“Cherargei, I want to teach you something. If the President was using a brain like yours, we would not be having the country now. I’m telling you the truth,” Murkomen said.
Speaking during the funeral of the son of Chesumei MP Paul Biego Polo, the CS said the government was awarding contracts fairly without room for tribalism.
“When I came here, I told you that Mosoriot town has a university, college and others and needs to be built and we have announced the tender and I don’t know who will get it, I’ve just heard it from Cherargei because I don’t follow tendering process, its Cherargei.”
Speaking in the same funeral moments before Murkomen addressed the mourners, Cherargei advocated for the allocation of a road project to a local contractor, emphasising that the move would benefit the residents.
“Thank you, CS, for coming. You know few people tell you the truth. Work in Nandi is not good. Thank you, Waziri, for the road that is being undertaken in Mosorit,” Cherargei stated in the Kalenjin dialect.
“I hear that some people are saying that they want to bring people from other communities to be contractors. Give our children the priority of being contractors because if we don’t teach our children to be strong contractors, we won’t be competitive.”
The remarks did not sit well with the CS who fired back when he rose to speak, warning that Cherargei’s philosphy was regessive and could be detrimental to the community in the long run.
According to the CS, any Kenyan has the right to work in any part of the country, provided they effectively fulfil their assigned responsibilities.
“What about our people whom we have given big contracts owing billions and are in Central and Mombasa? Do you want them to be chased to come home? As your teacher, I have brains and a plan,” the CS responded.
Cherargei has been involved in fights with his governor Stephen Sang over the implementation of the county agenda.
The senator has however been defending President William Ruto’s government amidst attacks from the opposition.