Kenyan politicians are well known worldwide for their outrageous stunts but some can get really intense, embarrassing even.
In 2018, it seems, politicians went all their way out in pulling stunts that they either knew about, (case in point, Miguna Miguna), had no idea until 20,000 Twitter posts later (case in point, Mike Sonko) or prevailing situation caused them to innovate (Kalonzo explosives).
Whichever the situation, Kenyan politicians have totally mastered their craft and are really getting recognized internationally for it.
Here, we rank 13 of the most outrageous stunts that were pulled in 2018.
14. Aden Duale and Alfred Mutua threaten to expose maize cartels
Parliamentary Leader of Majority Aden Duale and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, in June, at the height of the maize scandal, claimed that they had a list of influential people in government that were linked to it.
Duale had told parliament that he knew the people involved in the contraband business and was ready to expose them for the sake of the suffering Kenyan.
However, more than five months later, no one’s name has been exposed and the fate of the maize scandal is still undetermined.
13. Parliamentary Committee goes to Russia
National Assembly Sports committee in June visited Russia for the FIFA World Cup but what caught Kenyans eyes was the flagrant plagiarism their report contained.
The report, which they were supposed to submit at the end of the tour, was basically a copy and paste from numerous sports websites.
According to reports, only three pages from the 37 the report contained were free of plagiarism. The three included table of contents and chairperson’s introduction.
12. Nairobi MCA – Krimino Comment
A relatively unknown Nairobi MCA, Mary Njambi, in October, shot to fame after a botched attempt to eject the then assembly speaker, Beatrice Elachi, left her inventing an entirely new word.
In an address to journalists, the MCA revealed that Elachi had sprayed them with pepper in their eyes, an act she termed “Krimino” (Criminal).
“How can you be a speaker, na unawekea MCA wako mapiripiri kwa macho. Si hiyo ni Krimino? (you are spraying your MCA with pepper, isn’t that criminal),” she was quoted.
Her utterances birthed several spin offs including a full blown musical recording and a video.
11. Mike Sonko – Blue economy twang
As the world’s first ever Blue Economy conference hosted in the country happened, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko stole the entire event’s spotlight after he devised a new accent.
Addressing the dignitaries at the conference, Sonko pronounced words like city as "cirry" and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s name as "Kenyarra".
Kenyans, as is usual, thronged social media to make fun of the county leader’s adopted accent. Fellow governors even taunted Sonko over the accent.
10. Ferdinand Waititu – Moving Rivers
At the height of demolition of buildings on Riparian land, a time during which the Kiambu Governor’s wife had been arrested in Nairobi county, Ferdinand Waititu opened up about the whole saga.
In his defense, the media quoted him suggesting that instead of the state demolishing expensive structures on such land, it should consider moving the rivers entirely.
"...if your house is next to the river you should be told to cater for the cost of diverting the river to ensure it moves a bit...” stated the Governor.
9. David Ole Sankok – Slay Queens slur
In November, in response to the Gender Bill which had been tabled by Garissa MP, Sankok, a Nominated lawmaker, left a bad taste in the mouth of women.
In a video posted on his social media page, Sankok explained that the Bill was probably seeking to have “slay queens” slay their way into the National Assembly without a sweat.
“If these gender top up slots will be for our daughters, sisters, wives and mothers, then I support it 100 per cent. But if it’s for the slay queens to slay their way into the National Assembly, to massage their way into the Senate or County Assemblies, then I do have some reservations,” stated Sankok.
Due to the heat elicited by the utterance, he was forced to apologise to women during an interview on Citizen TV.
8. Moses Kuria – Drunk interview
It is one thing showing up to a TV interview while intoxicated but it’s entirely different facing Citizen TV’s Hussein Mohamed while drunk.
After appearing one of Hussein’s show, the vocal Gatundu South MP sparked online controversy after it was noticed that he was indeed intoxicated.
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale also remarked that the MP might have been drunk while on the show.
"I wish we had put an alcohol-blow at the door before we came in,” stated Khalwale.
7. Mike Sonko – Records phone calls
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was a star-stunter this year especially since this is not his last appearance on this list.
Sonko has had a habit of recording phone calls and sometimes leaking them to the public and in 2018, two people, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and Grand Manor Hotel owner Praful Kumar, fell victims to his antics.
A phone call of Governor Waititu pleading with Sonko over the release of his wife, Susan Wangare, who had then been arrested, leaked online exposing impunity.
In August, he also exposed Kumar accusing him of bribery.
He is, however, not about to stop as he explained that it was his civic duty to the people of Nairobi who elected him.
6. John Lonyangapuo – Living in bush
After disrupting business at a roadblock along a highway in his county and freeing an arrested bodaboda operator, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo was caught on camera asking Interior CS Fred Matiang’i to remove traffic police from his county or retrain them.
Shortly after, his security was withdrawn after which he admitted to living in the bush surviving on milk and blood from his cattle.
His security is yet to be restored despite a court order.
5. Miguna Miguna – Not boarding
Shortly after Canada-based Miguna Miguna returned to Kenya from a first deportation, he caused a stir online when he refused to board a Dubai-bound plane.
Kenyan tweeps created memes after the embattled politician confronted plainly clothed police forcing him into the plane while constantly stating, “I am not boarding.”
The State had the last laugh and Miguna, the self-declared National Resistance Movement general, was eventually deported to Dubai.
The High Court, however, ruled that the deportation was illegal and that Miguna was a legitimate Kenyan citizen and was awarded Kshs7 million in damages.
4. Babu Owino – cheeky apology to Jaguar
What happens when a youthful legislator is forced to apologise before his seniors, well, he gets cheeky while doing so.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino isn’t new to stunts and recently, he told parliament that he had not intended to slap his colleague, Charles Njagua Kanyi popularly known as Jaguar, but his (Njagua) cheeks moved towards Owino’s hand.
“I would like to say that Mr. Speaker, on that particular day I did not slap Hon Jaguar, it is his cheeks that moved to my hands,” regretted the MP.
Even Americans trolled the legislator after the clip was shared by a popular US site, The Shade Room.
3. Sonko Storming Pumwani
In September, Sonko pulled the most daring stunt since assuming office after he appeared on video exposing rot at Pumwani hospital.
The Governor was disguised as a Salim who had taken his pregnant wife to the hospital but was surprised to find senior officers at the premises present.
After being taken rounds by her assistant on phone, the angry governor proceeded to expose dead foetus who had been hidden in carton boxes.
The move spunned a series of several other impromptu visits shortly after meant to expose and sort out the rot in the facility.
2. Kalonzo Musyoka – Fake explosives
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka started the year claiming that unknown gunmen had hurled grenades in his Karen home.
When the police surveyed the scene, however, they found the story a fabrication claiming that no grenades had been used in his home.
“We did not find any holes made by the grenade on the compound. The vehicles around the place it might have been dropped had no holes. When we entered the compound, we even asked ourselves if the attack was true,” explained police.
The came during the sustained pressure for him to expose his whereabouts during the swearing-in of his co-principal, Odinga.
1. Raila Odinga – Swearing-in
Opposition leader Raila Odinga pulled the boldest move of the year.
On January 30, after controversially losing in the 2017 presidential election, Raila, with the help of his former aid Miguna Miguna, took oath of office as the new people’s president.
Thousands of Kenyans thronged Uhuru Park to witness the event which would later widen the rift between the state and the opposition at the time.
Raila’s kingdom was, however, short lived when, in March, he shook hands with President Uhuru Kenyatta starting an era of peace and reconciliation.
