Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has vowed to address the National Assembly in Kikuyu following the coronation of Speaker Justin Muturi as Mt Kenya Spokesperson.
Kuria made the announcement during Punchline, a program on K24 TV televised live on Tuesday, May 25.
In the program, Kuria was co-panelist with Lawyer Benji Ndolo and Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni.
In his announcement, the Gatundu South MP said, “I was looking for a chance to speak and I did not get it. When Parliament resumes I will address this issue and I will address the Speaker in Kikuyu because he is now my boss within the community. I will never address Parliament in English again,” Kuria said.
When queried by the interviewer whether addressing Parliament in Kikuyu dialect would be against the standing orders Kuria replied,” Parliament took an adjournment motion. Can you imagine Parliament taking an adjournment session to congratulate the speaker for being appointed a tribal spokesperson?”
“You are number three in the pecking order of this country. And when the house adjourned to congratulate him, it meant that (the coronation) was more important a role for him than running Parliament,” Kuria went on.
Kuria’s remarks were echoed by Benji who raised his pessimism about Muturi’s capability to lead arguing that the Speaker got his current position as result of a favor following an election loss.
‘I find Speaker Muturi to be quite a weak leader, he has a good friend in President Uhuru Kenyatta who rehabilitated him from loss after he run and lost the Mbeere seat. I don’t know if he can really do the job,” Benji said.
Weighing in on the debate, Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni described Muturi’s coronation as his recognition a local leader.
“We need to reach out as Mt Kenya people and avoid disunity to speak as one,” Kioni said arguing that the Speaker had reason enough to accept his coronation. Kioni further defended the Speaker from criticism stating that any leader from any region would love the recognition Muturi was given.
Kuria on the other hand argued that it was wrong for Muturi to go ahead with the enthroning.
“If was any one else who was being coronated, I would have no problem with that. But this is the speaker of the National Assembly. We coronated him in Parliament. He still has that coronation. If it was Kioni, I would not have a problem. But this is the third most senior government officer,” Kuria said.
Muturi was coronated as Mt Kenya spokesperson on Saturday, May 22. After his enthroning, Muturi said it was an honor for him to be accorded the role and promised that he will undertake his mandate diligently.
“I will stand and be the voice of the people from this region and find ways of bridging the rifts which have been there,” the Speaker said.
“This is one big community and there should be no divisions amongst us,” he added.
Muturi also sought to clarify that him being bestowed as the spokesman does not in anyway contradict the role of president Uhuru Kenyatta who is the kingpin.
“There is no bad blood between the president and me. We have always worked together and we shall continue doing the same,” the Speaker added.
Muturi’s coronation has raised a lot of debate with a host of leaders from Mt Kenya including Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi and his Embu counterpart Martin Wambora supporting him.
