Kipchumba Murkomen Says Rwanda Is Autocratic, Stirs Controversy Amid Tiff With DRC

• Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen stirred controversy after saying Rwanda was an autocratic state
• Murkomen's remarks stunned lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, who called on the Foreign Affairs Ministry to train state officials on how to address international matters
• Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei wittingly distanced himself from Murkomen's remarks

Michael Ollinga is a journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 10 years of experience covering courts and crimes, special reports, and current affairs in Kenya.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has sparked concern after explicitly describing Rwanda as an autocratic state.

Murkomen calls Rwanda autocratic

The remarks by Murkomen come at the back of Kenya's determination to resolve a brewing diplomatic tiff with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Murkomen made the remarks during an interview on Citizen TV on Monday, December 19, where he defended Kenya's approach to implementing traffic rules.

In his defence of the country, Murkomen observed that Kenya was bureaucratic courtesy of its democratic foundation and would thus take more time to ensure full implementation of contested laws.

Rwanda's transport and infrastructure development

"Rwanda is not like Kenya, and we must live with certain expectations as a country that comes with democracy. Rwanda is an autocracy, and whatever the president says is the law," Murkomen stated during the interview.

He argued that it was challenging to streamline traffic laws in Kenya as they were being done in Rwanda, saying that Kenya was bureaucratic.

He added that Rwanda was geographically tiny, insinuating that it was easier for the East Africa Community counterpart to attain some goals faster than Kenya.

"If we were a military state, things would be different, but now we must negotiate through legal processes," Murkomen continued.

Ahmednasir takes on Murkomen over Rwanda remarks

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi quickly took issue with Murkomen's statements and called on Foreign Affairs Principal Korir Sing'oei to empower government officials to address international problems without threatening diplomatic ties.

"You need to urgently organise workshops for government officials and educate them on the basic tenets of the community of nations. Murkomen can't attack a sovereign-friendly state without provocation and disparaging President Paul Kagame just like that," the renowned lawyers stated.

The lawyer termed the remarks by Murkomen as embarrassing and would gradually see Kenya remain an outcast in the region.

"This is embarrassing. CSs must be taken through a crash course, teaching them the responsibilities of, their new constitutional offices! Very soon, Kenya will be a pariah state in the hood," the lawyer said.

Sing'oei wittingly steered away from Murkomen's remarks and described Kagame as an admirable president of a democratic state.