• Kuria on Thursday kicked off a storm by stating that there's nothing wrong with reintroducing GMOs in the country since Kenyans are already staring at death.
• The remarks elicited mixed reactions online from Kenyans with some echoing Kuria's sentiments while others expressed shock and disbelief.
Image: FILE
Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna has weighed in on the ongoing debate regarding Trade CS Moses Kuria's remarks on the legalisation of GMOs.
The CS on Thursday kicked off a storm by stating that there's nothing wrong with reintroducing genetically modified organisms in the country since Kenyans are already faced with the risk of death anyway.
"By just being in this country, you are a candidate for death. And because there are so many things competing to kill you, there is nothing wrong with adding GMOs to that list," Kuria said.
The remarks elicited mixed reactions online a section of Kenyans echoing Kuria's sentiments while others expressed shock and disbelief.
But Sifuna said it's not shocking for the former Gatundu South MP to make such remarks going by his past record.
"If you are shocked by anything Moses Kuria says or does, you are the problem. Kula tu GMO ukufe (just eat GMO and die)," he said.
Sifuna tagged his comment to a past TV interview in which he appeared as a guest and warned that the crop of cabinet secretaries appointed into office under Kenya Kwanza would embarrass the government.
"You are not going to stem the tide of embarrassment that's going to be caused by these people that you appointed," Sifuna said during the interview.
If you are shocked by anything Moses Kuria says or does, you are the problem. Kula tu GMO ukufe. pic.twitter.com/LRPvE08aDa
— Edwin Sifuna (@edwinsifuna) November 18, 2022
He said the true personality of the CSs should have been established during the vetting process and those seen to be unfit to hold office sieved out.
"The capacity of someone to embarrass you is something you can establish during that vetting process," the senator said.
Sifuna said that as a leader, one ought to have the presence of mind to know that their words carry a certain weight and their actions have far-reaching consequences in society.
He faulted the vetting committee for ignoring the Azimio recommendation to lock out cabinet nominees they thought were unfit for office over integrity issues.
In the interview aired on November 10, the senator cited remarks by various CSs which painted the government in bad light including the proposal by Education CS Ezekiel Machogu to scrap university funding.
On Moses Kuria, he pointed out the incident where the Trade CS got into an altercation with a business woman over his proposal to ban mitumba clothes in Kenya.
"Those are the people you chose. That is who they are, they are going to embarrass you day in day out. There is no course you can take these people to stem the tide of embarrassment because we told you this is who they are," he said.
"That is who he is. Moses Kuria whether the camera is on or off, that is Moses Kuria, you know him."