Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho was on Monday, September 30, on the receiving end of Kenyans wrath after he posted a tweet on his Twitter page that many found to be insensitive and callous.
Speaking in Mombasa County, 6 Kilometres from Likoni where a tragic ferry accident took place, he briefed Kenyans about the preparations that the Kenya Navy had undertaken in readiness for the forthcoming Mashujaa Day celebration.
"Our uniformed forces have intensified rehearsals for this year's Mashujaa Day celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront Park, Mombasa. This will be the first time in our history that the Kenya Navy will give the National Salute to the President," the tweet read.
This tweet caused an avalanche of comments from Kenyans who took it in the wrong stride given the negative publicity that the Kenya Navy has received over its alleged failure to recover the accident victims' bodies and vehicle.
"Another wrong tweet at the wrong time expressing a dire lack of priorities. The citizens are lying dead 60 meters underwater and you are excited to have our forces march to please looters. Priorities ndugu! Priorities!" one Twitter user condemned him.
Another irate user was quick to call him out over insensitivity to the plight of the family involved in the ferry tragedy.
"All this is useless if the mother and daughter were not rescued yesterday and have not been retrieved from the ocean until now. Wastage of taxpayers' money. Incompetent personnel. Parading and doing stunts on that day just shows that's all your team is capable of doing," another user commented.
Earlier in the day, Kenya Ferry Services Managing Director Bakari Goa had explained why the Kenya Navy hadn't retrieved the car from the ocean.
He had stated that the Kenya Ferry Services officials and members of the Kenya Navy had discovered that the vehicle had sunk below the earlier stated 60 meters which made it harder for it to be recovered as they had anticipated.
He, however, made it clear that they had engaged a private firm that was on its way to begin the recovery process as soon as the sea became less turbulent.
