• Mutua accused Mudavadi of copying his campaign ideas targeting youth ahead of the 2022 general election.
• Mutua said Kenya needs creative and innovative leaders who have thought through how to transform Kenya and not copy artists.
Machakos governor Alfred Mutua has hit at ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi for plagiarism.
Mutua accused Mudavadi of copying his campaign ideas targeting youth ahead of the 2022 general election.
Mutua said in the last one year, with his supporters he has noticed that every time he goes to the public with an idea, a concept and even part of his manifesto, a few days or weeks later, Mudavadi comes out and says the same things or attempts to replicate what he has done.
"This has been going on for long enough. It has reached such high levels that when I strategise with my team, we joke that we have to be 'hush-hush' or Mudavadi and other leaders will copy us," Mutua said.
Asanteni mbogi kwa messages zenyu. pic.twitter.com/zxMbZt3BT8
— Musalia W Mudavadi (@MusaliaMudavadi) September 21, 2020
He said a few weeks ago during his speech as he announced his 2022 candidature, he said that he was a “Safe Pair of Hands” with both national and county experience and that he was a neutral and balanced leader - what Kenyans need.
A few days later, Musavadi copied him and declared he was a “safe pair of hands” for similar reasons as his.
"I have been addressing the youth in their street lingo “Sheng” and have videos in Sheng about shunning tribalism and also recently, calling on them not be spectators in the political arena. Now again, Hon. Mudavadi, has copied me and released a video targeting the youth where he struggles to speak in Sheng to them," he said.
"My ideas have been taken by others as if they are theirs - from the concept of lifestyle audits to discussing the cleaning of corruption money using churches. My ideas of transforming Kenya have been repeated by others as their original ideas," he added.
Mutua said Kenya needs creative and innovative leaders who have thought through how to transform Kenya and not copy artists.
"When you copy, it means you have run out of your own ideas. I respect Hon. Musalia Mudavadi as a leader and person and can even say he is more decent when compared to many others. But please, Ndugu Musalia, tunafaa kuchorea usoro zingine ati tunacopiana hata maformular. Mbogi zingine zinacopy mpaka ideas. Hiyo si vako, haidai tu," he said.
"Ukijitambua, pia ucome na ma idea zako lakini zangu chorea. Ama, pia ukikwama,unaeza dandia #FreshnaMutua nikupeleke na Rieng. Mavijana msichochwe rahisi ivo ati kuna kamzae kamechapa na anadai ati ye ni youth. Mnaget? Wasitupime hivyo. Lenga hizo story," he added.
(If you realise yourself come up with your own ideas also and leave alone mine. If you get stuck you can come along in my boat I sail with you. Youth don't be deceived. There is a certain politician who has aged but claims he is a youth, let them not test the waters with us).
Mutua said a time has come for all politicians to be original and innovative and avoid plagiarism and stealing ideas from each other.
Mutua and Mudavadi have all declared their interests in vying for the Presidency in the 2022 general election.
Efforts to reach out to Mudavadi for a comment bore no fruits as all his lines were engaged.
But his communication team hit back saying Mutua cannot claim intellectual ownership to sheng.
"Did Mutua patent "Sheng" ? Can he tell Kenyans when he did so and under which Intellectual Property law? Which act gives Mutua the intellectual ownership of "sheng"? If he can't prove this to Kenyans then he should shut up," the team said.