Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri was the subject of online attacks from a section of Kenyans on Thursday, January 10.
Trouble began when Kiunjuri, while addressing a press conference on the desert locust invasion, advised citizens to take photos of suspicious insects and share them on social media to help authorities identify whether they were indeed the dreaded locusts.
"If you see any insect that you suspect could be a locust, take a picture and post on social media so we can confirm for you what insect it really is.
"It is important that we alert all Kenyans that not all grasshoppers are desert locusts. We need to avoid spreading alarm about the spread of locusts which is diverting attention from other critical areas," he opined.
Kenyans on social media, including prominent politicians, reacted to Kiunjuri's statement blasting him for purported incompetence.
A number of users sarcastically shared images of animals including lions, chickens and cats, asking the government to inform them if they were locusts as well.
"Unless this man has Uhuru’s explicit photos... no justification exists for him to be CS! Incompetency is written allover Kiunjuri," wrote National Super Alliance (NASA) Chief Executive Norman Magaya.
"How Mwangi Kiunjuri is still in Cabinet is a mystery. He has presided (over the) collapse of the agriculture sector, seen maize, wheat, coffee, tea and dairy decimated but attends tanga tanga rallies where the government is blamed for the collapse," lawyer Donald Kipkorir argued.
"This is an insult to the 8-4-4 generations. You guys made us study insects and now you think we can't identify a damn locust. Yaani nzige? To hell with the leaders in this country," posted Yara Jnr.
"If you see any animal with black and white stripes and you suspect it could be a zebra, take a picture and post on social media so we can confirm for you what animal it really is," Its Jaymo sarcastically shared.
Nyeri MP Ngunjiri Wambugu took the opportunity to pile into Kiunjuri, having earlier blasted him for failing to steer the Agriculture ministry, accusing him of playing politics at the expense of development.
"He has been Minister of Agriculture. He could not fix our tea, coffee and milk industry. Could not even implement a water-pan policy decision effectively! But when he’s finally fired he will try and lie to us it’s because he is doing politics and is being stopped from taking over from Uhuru as next Mt Kenya kingpin.
"Fortunately, we will be here to tell him off, and tell the public the truth - in details - about why he had to leave the government," the lawmaker wrote.
Here are some more hilarious reactions to Kiunjuri's statement.
