‘Be sober’ – CS Murkomen dresses down Cherargei in heated exchange over road contracts
Differences and rifts emerged among President William Ruto’s allies over the implementation of key projects in Nandi County.
Nandi senator Samson Cherargei and area Woman Representative Cynthia Muge questioned how Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) implemented projects in the region and demanded answers.
Cherargei, a second-term senator elected under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, accused Transport and Roads CS Kipchumba Murkomen of failing to offer local contractors job opportunities on local national road projects.
“CS Murkomen, we appreciate you for the ministry’s plans to undertake a road project in Mosoriot but we hear your friends want to bring contractors from other regions why do so when we have our own? We want you to support our local contractors to do these projects," Cherargei said during a burial ceremony in Chesumei constituency on Friday, October 27, 2023.
Muge, on the other hand, had stated that they would not accept the region being discriminated against even as he took to task transport CS Murkomen over how he is implementing road projects.
She said that most of the roads in the county were in bad condition, a move she described as discrimination and a letdown.
"As leaders, we will not sit back and watch when those tasked to deliver on projects fail. The President gave them jobs to deliver on projects and we will play the oversight role," Cynthia pointed out during a morning radio show programme on one of the vernacular radio stations.
Murkomen responds
In a quick rejoinder, CS Murkomen hit back at Muge and Cherargei over their comments maintaining that he was determined to deliver road projects across the country without sidelining any region or county.
"I want to tell Cherargei that we will be taking the wrong direction if we award all contracts to people from this region. We also have people from this region who are undertaking road projects in different regions in the country, Cherargei please be sober, don't propagate tribalism," the CS said.
CS Murkomen also blamed the woman representative for failing to understand the processes involved in awarding contracts for development projects advising her to move closer to senior legislators in parliament for guidance.
