Murkomen, Sakaja In Twitter Spat Over Increased Cost Of Fuel

Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja and Elgeyo Marakwet collegue Kipchumba Murkomen while pulling their weight toward the 16% increase of the fuel prices could not seem to agree on the substance of what each was asking for.

Sakaja tweeted asking the president to assent to the amendment suspending the 16 per cent VAT on petroleum products.

Dear @UKenyatta kindly assent to the Amendment exempting fuel from VAT. #PunguzaBeiYaMafuta the gain in tax revenue is much less than the goodwill of Kenyans in the fight against corruption (where we are losing much more). If anything, we should entirely do away with VAT on fuel

— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) September 2, 2018

Kipchumba Murkomen while agreeing to the tweet by Honorable Sakaja said he felt the same way but wondered why this request by the Nairobi senator was different from what he was asking of the president during the Mau eviction. He said that Sakaja publicly dismissed  his sentiments saying that he was inciting people against president Kenyatta’s initiatives yet he was here doing the the same.

I agree with you Hon.Sakaja on this. But remember you issued a statement publicly when I visited the people of MAU against this approach. In your own words you warned me against “inciting Kenyans against Uhuru’s initiatives” coz it is “…disingenuous, underhand&disrespectful” https://t.co/i3tqSwP9Qk

— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) September 2, 2018

However the Nairobi Senator corrected his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart saying that the issues he was raising was worlds apart from what Murkomen was saying during the Mau eviction. He said that the Mau eviction was already implemented yet he was asking the president to act on the amendment.

A world of difference between us. Your statement was against what @UKenyatta had already done. Mine is urging him to do..to assent to the amendment by National Assembly. You said people are being kicked out because of the handshake 🤝. Disingenuous, underhand and disrespectful!

— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) September 2, 2018

Murkomen also said that Sakaja was part of the parliament that passed the law in 2013 but to end the hard tackle that Sakaja had responded with, he welcomed him to the ‘mtetezi wa raia ‘ club.

Read:Nairobi County Officers Flatten Illegal Structures In Lavington

Kenyans were also quick to defend the Nairobi senator and said the Elgeyo Marakwet leader was an attention seeker.

Here are some of the reactions:

Bullseye, Mheshimiwa Sakaja, the two issue are as worlds apart, like day and night

— Job Lameck Agolla (@Joblameck) September 2, 2018

Finish him!!Cheap tackle from Murkomeno….

— The Chief Bwana (@mosesshauri) September 2, 2018

I support you Sakaja you are representing the public https://t.co/zeTG9dUgTm

— Francis 🇰🇪 🇺🇬 🇹🇿 🇸🇴 🇪🇹 🇸🇸 🇷🇼 🇨🇩 (@Francis_Mweu1) September 2, 2018

Do you have a story you want told? Do you know of a sensitive story you would like us to get our hands on? Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com