• Gachagua said there was no rift between him and the Trade CS after as a section of the media insinuated that two were embroiled in a tussle.
• "Hii Moses Kuria is our son, nimeona watu wengine wakisema ati afutwe kazi. Afutwe kazi aende wapi?" Gachagua asked.
Image: PCS
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed those calling for the sacking of Trade CS Moses Kuria over his remarks towards Kenyans on fuel prices, which he personally found disrespectful.
Gachagua said there was no rift between him and the Trade CS after as a section of the media insinuated that the two were embroiled in a tussle.
"I saw the newspaper people writing yesterday that there is a problem on the mountain (Mt Kenya) that I might fight with Moses Kuria. I'm Deputy President this is our worker, so can the employer fall out with his employee," he posed.
The DP was speaking on Friday during the burial of Mau Mau veteran, Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima in Nyeri County.
"Hii Moses Kuria is our son, nimeona watu wengine wakisema ati afutwe kazi. Afutwe kazi aende wapi?" Gachagua asked.
"For what reason? Kuria ameongea nimeona ametoka nje kidogo, si mimi ni baba ya hapa, nimemwambia hapana, hapana kaza watu sana, enda pole pole. Si hiyo ni kazi yangu hiyo?"
(Kuria spoke and I saw he went off track and I'm a father around here, I have told him no, don't be too tough on the people, go slow)
Kuria came under heavy criticism after he told Kenyans who complained about high fuel prices that it was just the beginning and things would get worse in the coming months.
It was after the energy regulator Epra in the September-October fuel price review increased fuel prices to Sh211.64 for petrol, Sh200.99 for Diesel and Sh202.61 for a litre of kerosene in Nairobi.
The outspoken CS said as a matter of fact, fuel prices will hit Sh260 by February, something he said would be driven by science and prevailing climate change including El Nino.
"These are global and climate change driven. Responsible leaders ought to tell the truth to prepare the people. You can throw stones at me all you want," Kuria said in a post on X on September 16.
The remarks were countered by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale who called on President William Ruto to sack Kuria alongside Energy CS David Chirchir and chair of Economic Council David Ndii who had equally dressed down Kenyans on the fuel issue.
Gachagua, who was away in Colombia on a working visit, jetted back a day later and also told off Kuria and Ndii saying it was insensitive of them to talk down on Kenyans.
"Responsible leaders should be sensitive and inspire hope to the people for a better tomorrow. Talking down on the people and demoralising those who look up to them for solutions and a way out of the difficult situation they find themselves in is not good leadership. Please do not spite the People of Kenya," the DP said.
But while speaking in Nyeri, Gachagua added in his Kikuyu dialect that, "making a mistake is not a mistake but rather, repeating a mistake."
"Sasa mimi nikiwa kiongozi wa area hii, mimi naweza achilia ati huyu Kuria ahangaishwe (As a leader of this area, can I let Kuria to be frustrated?)" he posed
"You press people you don't understand this region, I saw you put a big headline mnaweka picha yangu hapo na ya Kuria. Just adjust that photograph you put the two photos together," he said.
"That is our story, that is the way we are. We are united in this region, hamutujui nyinyi"