Be patriotic, Murkomen tells Kenyans celebrating Raila AUC loss

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen addressing mourners at a funeral in Baringo/SCREENGRAB

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has reprimanded Kenyans who celebrated former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s loss at the African Union Commission polls.

Murkomen said Kenyans should learn to view issues in a patriotic and national manner.

“You must know what is good for your country for your country even if it is good for your political opponent,” he advised.

Speaking at a funeral service in Baringo, Murkomen added that Raila’s win would have helped Kenyan professionals to get jobs in Africa and the world at large.

“When Koffi Annan was UN secretary general, you would find Ghanaians working at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, WTO and UN itself all over the world. It would have been an opportunity to expose our professionals,” the CS explained.

Murkomen added that those who celebrated Raila’s loss should know the bid was not about the former Prime Minister but Kenya.

“It was a painful loss for our country. It was not about Raila Odinga or William Ruto. It was about Kenya,” he stated.

Murkomen nonetheless said there will be another opportunity for another Kenyan to serve in that capacity.

“It was the second time we have lost the bid. It was painful when Raila lost, and it was also painful when it was Amina Mohammed lost,” he added.

Raila lost the African Union Chairperson election to Djibouti's Foreign Minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed also condemned Kenyans who turned out to celebrate Raila’s loss.

The legislator referred to them as ‘unpatriotic’ saying they should have supported one of their own.

Addressing the House on Tuesday, Junet said that the loss did not shock him as much as the celebration witnessed in some parts of the country.

“The first thing that we need to look at is being a Kenyan, not from the community you come from, your colour and religion. How unpatriotic can some Kenyans be that they fought Raila for one year he has been campaigning and after losing they celebrated, we shall revisit that I can assure you, we will revisit at the right time, we shall have our day to laugh and to celebrate; it is not very far, it is coming,” Junet said.