As Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen stood strong and assured that he was stronger than before, his viral remarks in past attacks against President Uhuru Kenyatta set the path to the collision and ultimate ouster as the Senate majority leader.
Murkomen who was, on Monday, May 11, replaced by West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio (KANU), led a number of Jubilee legislators in criticising Kenyatta's Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and the handshake between the president and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.
"I thank all my friends for the overwhelming love and support. I am stronger than ever before," Murkomen tweeted on Monday, May 11.
"If two years ago you would have told me that there would be a difference between Deputy President William Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta, we would deny. Unfortunately, we cannot live in eutopia and the DP is facing an onslaught within the government that lives questions to be answered as to what is the role of the president in the DP's suffering," he added in an interview with KTN News.
Nairobi Metropolis Changes
On Tuesday, May 5, Murkomen vehemently opposed the seconding of military officers to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), after Kenyatta appointed Major General Mohammed Badi as Director-General of the NMS. This was after the Head of State signed a contentious deed of transfer with Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
"As we speak, we know that Nairobi has been militarized, it is no longer a civilian government, something that I would never have imagined under the new constitution. The militarization of the civilian or county government is the worst form of violation and overturn of the constitution.
"Let it be known that I, Kipchumba Murkomen, the Majority Leader of the Senate of Kenya, is never and will never be supportive of a military-run county called Nairobi. This house must call this government to order," Murkomen declared.
Handshake
In November 2019, Murkomen further attacked President Kenyatta's relationship with Odinga, tearing into the famous March 2022 handshake.
"This nation is slowly sliding into anarchy. What a paradox that we were told handshake was a panacea for all our political ills. Let’s choose peace. To my colleagues in Jubilee who were brutalised in Kibra, I understand your pain and frustrations. I beg you not to revenge," he argued.
BBI
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019, during the launch of BBI at Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi, Murkomen was booed by the audience as he attacked the organisers of the event.
"We must have an honest discussion, even the way Junet Mohamed (Suna East MP and ODM politician) you are running the program, we must have an honest discussion about it. Your Excellency, it would be a lie for me to leave this stage without saying that this program has been skewed to leave out people with different opinions," Murkomen stated.
Arror and Kimwarer Dams
On Wednesday, September 18, 2019, Murkomen poked holes at Kenyatta's decision to cancell the Kimwarer dam project, claiming that there was an imbalance in the selection of the committee that eventually gave recommendations on the report.
"Planned cancellation of Kimwarer and the restructuring of the Arror dams doesn't surprise me at all. The plan all along was to kill the projects. The composition of the technical committee doesn't reflect the ethnic and regional balance. Maringa (Paul), (Julius) Matu, (Benjamin) Mwangi and (John) Muiruri have sadly misled the president.
"Tech committee didn’t consult anyone and it didn't carry out public participation. EMC has been denied a rightful share of national projects in a deliberate act of discrimination. They would rather default and pay contractors billions of money for breach of contract than to see our people benefit," lamented Murkomen.
Alleged Ruto's Assassination Plot
In July 2019, while speaking at the burial of Benson Kiptire, former Member of County Assembly for Kabyego Ward in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Murkomen lectured President Uhuru Kenyatta over the state of security in the country.
“My message to President Uhuru Kenyatta and I’m clear in my mind; security will not be managed in the country through assassination and extrajudicial killings, it won’t solve any problem in this country. We should not allow people who run our security system in the country to accept a procedure that is a shortcut to solving problems, it's not going to be right. This is not a way to run this nation," Murkomen lamented.
