Tabitha Keroche's 'Moi' remark that landed her in trouble with netizens

Nakuru senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche has in the recent weeks been in the eye of a storm following a statement she made on the floor of the house, during the debate on the motion to impeach deputy president Rigathi Gachagua.

The senator in her statement indicated her preference for the era where the President had the powers directly to deal with their deputies, without involving the public nor the legislature.

According to Senator Karanja, the position of the deputy presidents as well as that of the deputy governors needs to be reviewed following its history of them being fired before serving their full term.

“I wish we can go back to the Moi’s regime where they will be sacked and nothing changes as they will have hired another the following day,” said Ms Karanja

However, the statement received backlash from the public, especially those from her region who accused her of misrepresenting them.

So bad were the attacks that Karanja had to clarify her position both on social media as well as the mainstream media.

But this too did not stop the criticism which raised concerns on the reception and perception of the public regarding the subject.

Good governance expert Laban Omusundi argued that what provoked the public was her insinuation of championing the dictatorial regime which Kenyans fought hard to overcome.

According to Mr Omusundi, the senator gave suggestions for people to donate their powers to the president which is something Kenyans are currently not ready to do.

“Former president Moi ruled with an iron fist and anything relating to his rule always sends shivers down the spines of Kenyans. We have already overcome that and no one is ready to go back to that dark period,” says Omusundi.

Political analyst Andrew Nyabuto on her part argues that Ms Karanja’s statements were seriously taken out of context and the narrative promoted by her political rivals.

Either way he maintains that the current crop of politicians should avoid topics that tend to provoke Kenyans such as that of the dictatorial regime.

Politician Andrew Yatich on his part looked at the Senator’s current backlash as a clear sign to the public of the wrong choice they made during the 2022 general elections.

Mr Yatich argues that he was the right choice for the position but due to politics it was given to what he claimed was an undeserving candidate.

“I am not surprised with what she is doing and will not be in future if she makes similar mistakes. Nakuru voters need to be careful on who they chose to represent them.”

However, this is not the first time Ms Keroche has received criticism and backlash after making statements that were taken out of context or not aligned with the majority of residents' expectations.

In May last year, Ms Karanja raised eyebrows when she publicly defended the liquor industry in a public forum attended by the Deputy president at the Nakuru Show grounds to put in place strategies towards fighting illicit brew in the country.

“She should be consulting widely from the right people in order to frame her message in a way people will understand better. Her advisors need to be guiding her on the best statements to say based on the mood of the public,” says Mr Omusundi.

Mr Nyabuto on the other hand says the senator needs to learn to detach emotions from politics in order to make sober decisions.

You cannot approach politics with emotions without reading the mood of the country. She must also be firm in her decisions and take independent decisions that serve the interests of those who elected her,” says Nyabuto.