State House Chief of Staff Loses Cool in Spat With David Ndii

A collage of State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita and David Ndii
A collage of State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita and David Ndii
File

A disagreement between State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita and economist David Ndii turned ugly on Tuesday, September 29, when the two resorted to name-calling and trading insults. 

Waita had called out the Daily Nation for an article that claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta was headed to France to sign a Ksh180 billion loan deal for the dualling of the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Road; a 190-kilometre stretch.

He explained that Kenya was not seeking a loan but a public-private partnership (PPP) that would guarantee income through charges imposed on motorists.

File image of economist David Ndii
File image of economist David Ndii
The Standard

"How does a PPP become a loan? Your story is an outright lie.The Nakuru-Mau Summit Super Highway will be a toll road given to a concessionaire to finance, build and operate.

 "Through the Toll Fund recently enacted by the National Assembly, the government would guarantee availability of traffic," Waita stated. 

The discourse turned into insults and barbs from Ndii aimed at Nzioka Waita touching on his father and profession.

"Are you incapable of having a civil conversation? First you insult my deceased father then you insult my professional standing? It’s unnecessary but seeing as you harbour so much angst from being an ‘economist’ that only gets to practice on Twitter I understand and I forgive," the chief of staff posed to Ndii. 

Waita referred to the economist as a failed pseudo intellectual, claiming that he was being paid to slander the government.

The spat was uncharacteristic of Waita who is deemed to be a laid-back aide of the president. 

He explained that the combined effect of expanding Waiyaki Way from James Gichuru - Rironi and the new toll road from Rironi to Mau Summit would completely transform the economies of counties along the route. 

The government is also set to expand the Mau Summit-Malaba Road to complete the corridor to Western Kenya.

An image of Uhuru Kenyatta and Emmanuel Macron
President Uhuru Kenyatta receives French President Emmanuel Macron at State House, Nairobi in March 13, 2019
PSCU