Video Of Meru Leaders Urging William Ruto To Save Linturi Sparks Outrage: "Mtu Yetu Syndrome"

• Meru leaders cautioned that Mithika Linturi's removal would essentially be expelling the entire community from government
• They urged President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua to save Linturi from impeachment to protect the community's interests
• The statement has caused an online uproar, with some netizens arguing that the government can still find someone better than Linturi from Meru

A video of leaders from Meru County urging President William Ruto to save Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi from impeachment has caused mixed reactions among netizens.

What did the Meru leaders say?

Led by Meru deputy governor Isaac Mutuma M'Ethingia and County Assembly speaker Ayub Bundi, the leaders warned Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that any attempt to impeach the CS is a direct attack on him as their Mt Kenya leader in Ruto's government.

They also urged leaders from the central region to respond to the matter because Linturi is one of their own.

"This is the only CS that we have in Meru. We know that if Linturi is safe, the people of Meru will be safe and the people of Kenya will be safe," they said.

The leaders argued that Linturi's removal would destabilize Ruto's administration, asserting he is a top-performing Cabinet Secretary.

They contended that Mithika, characterized solely as a policy maker, should refrain from involvement in matters concerning counterfeit fertilizer.

How did netizens respond?

Netizens did not take the Meru leaders' statement lightly, with some calling them out for saying CS Linturi was the best Agriculture CS.

Mirage Kitchenware:

"Biggest problem with Kenya ni hii mtu wetu syndrome. A crook benefits alone with few people around him while messing up everyone else but his community stands with."

Ibrahim Adbiaziz:

"Being Meru doesn’t make him the best CS."

Liston Otieno:

"Mtu wetu syndrome..We saw it in Western with Nakhumicha now in Meru with Linturi."

Josiah Lueru:

'We can appoint someone else from Meru if it must be a Meru."

Seth Ekulan:

"Tribalism at its best."

KOX Prosector:

"Zakayo, replace Mithika Linturi quickly. Meru is not made up of Linturi alone."

Aristotle:

"Ethnic card to make sins of an individual communal whereas the proceeds of corruption he got benefits his nuclear family only."

Why is Linturi on the verge of impeachment?

Recently, the National Assembly members endorsed a motion presented by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka to impeach Linturi.

Wamboka, the initiator of the impeachment motion, accused Linturi of mismanaging funds within the Agriculture ministry, citing incompetence.

During the voting process on Thursday, May 2, 149 MPs backed the motion to oust the embattled Cabinet Secretary in solidarity with Wamboka, while 36 MPs opposed it.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke