A video of Soy Member of Parliament, Caleb Kositany, verbally attacking his Nandi Hills counterpart, Alfred Keter, has caused public outrage with a section of Kenyans accusing him of ethnic profiling.
In the clip making rounds on social media, Kositany, during a public address, accuses Keter of being an incompetent leader, further linking it to his ethnicity and branding him an outsider.
The clip, which Kenyans.co.ke has established was shot in 2018, the Soy MP opined that Keter was an outsider who was lucky to have been elected as an MP in the region dominated by his sub-tribe.
He further called on elders not to back Keter's his re-election, noting that the MP had become disrespectful to the community and the people he works with. Kositany asked elders from Keter's sub-tribe to pick their son and teach him how to live and work with other people.
"If Keter was one of us, I would have asked the elders to back him for the parliamentary seat. But he is an outsider. We are telling his elders to come for their son and mentor him, to know how to work with people," the MP stated.
The MP also called on the alienation of the sub-tribe in the elections, especially in North Rift areas. His comments have attracted a backlash from members of the public who now want the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate him.
While a section of Kenyans want the MP to apologise, notwithstanding the time he made the remarks, others argued that he should be investigated and prosecuted.
At the same time, a section of Kenyans argued that the remarks will dent Deputy President William Ruto's campaigns.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok noted that the remarks posed a potential threat to the unity of a people. He opined the video was being used by malicious individuals who wanted to cause discourse in the Rift Valley.
"Let's not accept the invitation to any form of disunity and disharmony by allowing seeds of discord to be planted amongst us. To my friend and veteran politician Hon Caleb Kositany, please find it possible to withdraw the unfortunate remarks and apologize," Barchok stated
The video surfaced days after the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nullified the nomination of Keter, further awarding the certificate to his rival, Bernard Kitur.
According to UDA's Disputes Resolution Tribunal, the irregularities and illegalities raised by Kitur were substantive.
UDA further stated that it would investigate Keter for alleged voter bribery, intimidation and harassment of officials conducting the nominations.
“We have considered the various submissions made by parties and the evidence before us. We are convinced beyond doubt that the allegations substantially affected the results and impeached the integrity of the outcome,” the tribunal ruled.
Keter has been on the receiving end with Legislators allied to the Deputy President accusing him of being a betrayer. In the latest onslaught, Kapseret MP, Oscar Susi, accused Keter of being an Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party mole, asking his constituents to vote him out on August 9.
"I have spoken to Keter but he seems to have a lot of pride. You have my blessing, send him home for five years so that he can go and rethink about where the rains started beating him," Sudi stated.
