Khalwale's Uncouth Comment Backfires on Him

Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale on Tuesday, November 12 attracted backlash on a comment he made during the AM Live show that airs on NTV.

The former Ikolomani MP was speaking about his confrontation with rowdy youth during the Kibra by-election on Thursday, November 7, where he was forced to fight back as the youth charged at him.

Khalwale stated that as a man from the Luhya community he could not have backed down from a fight.

"Never in the culture of a Luhya man can you allow an uncircumcised boy to challenge you and you run away," Boni Khalwale brazenly remarked.

Former Senator Boni Khalwale collects stones to defend himself when rival groups of voters engaged each other at DC grounds in Kibera on November 7, 2019 during Kibra by-elections.

These sentiments did not go down well with netizens after the NMG-owned station shared the video and the quotes online.

Some Kenyans criticised the former MP who is also a medical doctor for what they termed as unreasonable remarks.

"Academics have zero impact on foolishness. Isn't this ethnocentricism? Do you want to impose Luhya Culture on the country? Is this a village elder or a national leader anyway?" Benjamin Njatha questioned.

Other netizens questioned his decision to elevate circumcision to the national conversation at a time when Kenyans were bracing for tough economic times.

"But if circumcision was a measure of greatness, Kenya wouldn't be swimming in the turbulent waters we currently are swimming in when the circumcised are in leadership. The problems we face as a country require sobriety backed up with visionary and selfless leadership. The status of people's manhood will definitely not get us out of our debt burden, neither will it create jobs to the many jobless youths," Maophan Otwala Opiyo stated.

Members of the Luhya community were quick to disown the former senator's statement by claiming that he did not represent their aspirations.

"Khalwale should stop behaving as if he more Luhya than the rest of us. In fact, he should know that each of the 19 subtribes of Luhya has their own way of doing things. We do not subscribe to his style of chest-thumping and Mr know it all of the traditions," JB Lubutse stated.

More netizens took issue with his description of the attacker describing his remark as tantamount to tribal profiling. 

"How can you tell whether your perceived attacker is circumcised or not? This has to be the statement that ends Boni Khalwale's stint at NTV. If they don't act, then they are in bed with the devil. Ethnic profiling has no place in the modern world," concluded John Ogola.

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