Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna indicated that the Senate will summon Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho over threats made against Kenyans who criticized the government on social media.
Sifuna emphasized that such threats undermine Kenyans’ constitutional right to freedom of speech and cannot force people to accept government policies.
Speaking on Radio Citizen, Sifuna criticized the government’s approach to communication, pointing out that threats are not an effective way to engage the public.
“This government doesn’t know how to communicate with Kenyans. There’s no need for threats. In the case of Joho, we parliamentarians will summon him to ask him why he’s threatening Kenyans,” Sifuna said.
He further reminded Joho that, as a Cabinet Secretary (CS), he is not a politician or governor, and his actions must be in line with the law.
“He should remember that he is not a politician, he’s not a governor, but a CS. He is lucky that we’ll go for recess till February, but we won’t forget. We will summon him and ask him what he means when he says that he will come for people online,” Sifuna added.
Sifuna urged Kenyans to exercise their right to freedom of speech without fear of intimidation from those in power.
“I urge Kenyans online not to be threatened by anyone. You have a right to speak. Some of you have already done your part and on retirement, and you’re threatening teenagers? We should be having conversations to know how to take the country forward,” he remarked.
Ruto’s ‘Pepo Chafu’ Remarks
The senator also criticized President William Ruto’s recent comments, where he referred to Kenyans opposing his projects as “pepo chafu” (evil spirits).
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Devki Iron Processing Project in Taita Taveta County on Tuesday, President William Ruto hit out at leaders and Kenyans who oppose his legacy projects without offering alternative and viable solutions.
President Ruto likened this opposition to an evil spirit possessing those involved.
“Wakenya tafadhali, kuna pepo chafu ya kupinga kila kitu. Projects like this, affordable housing, livestock vaccination to eliminate diseases, and reforming the university system to save our institutions—all of these are being opposed. They even oppose health initiatives. I ask, what is this evil spirit? It has reached a point where they are opposing even church offerings. What is going on? It’s truly a spirit of opposition,” he said.
He added, “This spirit of opposing everything, let us pray for our country. To those opposing online, we tell them, may the devil be defeated.”
The Nairobi Senator joked that he was the ‘spirit’ opposing the government projects while encouraging Kenyans to continue speaking up.
“I want to tell Kenyans, do not allow anybody to threaten you. You have already taken back your power. You used to live like you didn’t know you have more power than these people. You are more powerful than all of us.
“Keep monitoring us as leaders. If someone says that there is a spirit of opposing, I am that spirit. And your statement, Mr. President, do not go in line with your actions and those of your government,” Sifuna remarked on Wednesday.
Sifuna explained that Kenyans are not opposed to the government’s development projects but are calling for greater accountability and transparency.
“Kenyans are not against upgrading the airport; they only want transparency. It wouldn’t matter if Adani was involved, as long as the process was transparent and credible,” Sifuna emphasized.
He added, “The law requires the State to announce all projects deemed priority under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. To this day, the president doesn’t understand why Kenyans were opposed to Adani.”
To address these concerns, Sifuna proposed amendments to the PPP law to ensure more transparency in the process.
“As a Senator, I will push for amendments to the PPP laws, ensuring that even if a company submits a Privately Initiated Proposal (PiP), the government must make it public within seven days. We will also introduce a Swiss challenge, allowing other competitors to submit their bids, with the government selecting the best option,” Sifuna explained.
He added, “We don’t want a situation where a whistleblower like Nelson Amenya tells us that the airport is being sold before we take these matters seriously.”
This proposal aims to ensure a fair and transparent process for all public-private partnerships, prioritizing the public’s right to information.
