Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has dismissed an apology by Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria over his comment that Kenyans should expect even higher fuel prices.
Kuria had told Kenyans earlier that fuel prices will continue to rise by at least Ksh10 every month until February 2024.
The Trade CS had further told Kenyans who were complaining about the higher fuel prices to dig their own oil wells.
His remarks caused an uproar in the country, prompting Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Senator Khalwale to warn Kuria against addressing Kenyans arrogantly.
As a result, Moses Kuria on Wednesday, September 20 apologized to Kenyans over the remarks he made about fuel prices via his X account (formerly Twitter).
“I am made to now understand that the price will come down. I apologize profusely since to err is human,” Kuria stated.
“I have since been advised by people like Dr. Boni Khalwale and his master that the statement was incorrect, insensitive, and arrogant,” he added.
On the other hand, Senator Khalwale on Thursday, 21 dismissed Kuria’s apology, terming it sarcastic and an insult to Kenyans.
“I have never read about where he went to school but assuming that he went to a good school like some of us then he was writing in English and every tone of that particular tweet is nothing but sarcasm. There was no apology there,” Khalwale said on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show.
According to Kalwale, the tone of Kuria’s apology was not sincere and he didn’t clarify on persons he was specifically apologizing to.
“When you say ‘people like’ that is the beginning of sarcasm. ‘His master’ is further sarcasm. We are not fortune tellers to know what will happen to the prices of oil when he tells people to go and drill oil wells,” he said.
However, Khalwale regretted that it was unfortunate for Kuria to address Kenyans with arrogance since he was awarded the position after failing to win the Kiambu gubernatorial seat.
“We were teargassed and beaten up by police to form this government having formed it the people who failed to win seats, were appointed by the president out of sympathy,” he said.
