William Ruto's PS Distances Gov't From CS Murkomen's Comments On Rwanda: "Paul Kagame Is Admired"

• Kenya's Roads and Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen raffled feathers after belittling Rwanda in his talk during a TV interview
• He said Kigali's democracy cannot be compared with how things are run in Nairobi, stating that autocracy dominates in the former
• Concerned quarters argued such sentiments would dent the relations between Kenya and Rwanda, prompting PS Sing'oei to clarify things

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - The Principal Secretary in the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Korir Sing'oei has moved to underscore the good bilateral relations between Kenya and Kigali following Kipchumba Murkomen's emotive sentiments.

The Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary while appearing for an interview on Citizen TV sought to extol the state of the current Kenyan infrastructural setup and democracy in juxtaposition with the President Paul Kagame-led nation.

A comparison of the pace of development between the two countries was made by one of the followers of the interview, prompting Murkomen's response.

In his argument, Murkomen suggested that the organs of the Rwandan state are not independent and that crucial decisions are unilaterally sanctioned by the head of state.

Unlike Kigaili, he said, in Kenya numerous procedures are followed right from the formulation to the implementation of a policy.

He said Rwanda is autocratic compared with Kenya.

"Rwanda is not like Kenya. Rwanda is an autocracy and there whatever the president says is the law. For every decision you make in this country you must go through a proposal then Parliament then public participation. Then after you go through all the processes you go through the court and that is our country. You cannot compare the political situation in Rwanda and the size of the country with our country and our democracy. That is why we have to employ technology to deal with corruption and cartels," said Murkomen.

Kenya's gov't's position

Murkomen's sentiments divided opinions on the internet with some quarters foreseeing diplomatic turmoil between Nairobi and Kigali.

The CS was accused of throwing shade at a regional partner unprovoked; he would later be invited to apologise.

Setting the record clear, the PS in the Foreign Affairs Ministry explained that Kenya enjoyed ties with Rwanda for a time by virtue of belonging to the East African Community, suggesting Murkomen's sentiments were in his individual capacity but not representative of the government.

Sing'oei pointed out that Kenya recognises the strides made by Rwanda over the years; Kagame's style of leadership is also admired, he said.

"Rwanda is a key brotherly Nation and the Head of State of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame, is an iconic leader whose bold leadership is admired at home and abroad," said Sing'oei.