Secretary of Digital Innovations and Diaspora Communications Dennis Itumbi on Wednesday found himself in trouble over the US elections.
Itumbi took to Twitter congratulating Ilhan Omar following her win in the Minnesota House race to become one of the first Muslim women in Congress.
"The new Congress woman out of Minnesota. She lived in Daadab refugeee camp in Kenya for four years.
"Democrat Omar proves once again that you can re-write your story. She did not know English when she went to USA at age 12 and learnt the language by watching TV. Congrats!" Itumbi exclaimed.
His sentiments, however, did not go well with a section of netizens who reminded him of his past sentiments on the refugee community.
In particular, tweeps reminded Itumbi how he celebrated in December 2014 following the passage of the Security Law (Amendment) Act 2014 that amended the Kenya's Refugees Act.
"Kenya can now have a controllable number of refugees, whom can fit in its camps and be effectively policed," Itumbi had indicated.
According to the controversial bill, "the number of refugees and asylum seekers permitted to stay in Kenya shall not exceed 150,000".
Netizens pointed the irony that a man who once shunned refugees was now celebrating the success of one.
Some also opined that Omar only achieved the fete in the US and she likely would not get an equal opportunity had she stayed in Kenya.
Others reminded Itumbi the atrocities meted on Somali refugees at the infamous "Kasarani Concentration Camp".
In 2014, hundreds of suspected illegal Somali immigrants were rounded up in a security swoop across Eastleigh and South C estates after a series of terror attacks in the city.
They were later detained at Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani, with activists raising concern over the squalid conditions in the camp and the overcrowding the detainees had to endure.
The security swoop dabbed Operation Usalama Watch was launched to fight terror threats but was faulted due to the degrading and inhumane treatment of individuals held at the camp.
Here are some of the reactions:
