Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly Robert Alai has tongue-lashed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for offering to provided food to mourners when Prof George Magoha will buried in Gem.
Mr Alai, who made a name for himself as a controversial blogger before joining politics, termed the Deputy President’s offer as an insult to the people of Gem while at the same time portraying them as a hungry lot.
“The subtle insults by the Deputy President to the people of Gem. From this statement, you can see him mock you as hungry characters who think of nothing but food,” Alai tweeted on Saturday.
His sentiment came just a few hours after the Deputy President visited the family of former Cabinet Secretary in Lavington, Nairobi.
It is after comforting and condoling with the bereaved family that Mr Gachagua is reported to have made the remarks.
“The department of special programmes will provide food for the family and the mourners and in addition, will provide relief food to all the residents of Gem so that as we proceed to prepare for burial, all the surrounding homes will be comfortable because there is food,” Gachagua is quoted to have said.
Prof Magoha died at Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday following a cardiac arrest.
The death of former Education Cabinet Secretary dealt a double tragedy for the family following the death of his brother, Prof Arnold Nyabera in the USA.
Prof Nyabera, who had been diagnosed with cancer in 2021, is reported to have died on December 6, 2022 in Texas.
In a strange twist of fate, Prof Magoha’s body was transferred to Lee Funeral Home at about the same time his brother’s body was moved there after it was flown to Kenya from the US.
On the day Prof Magoha died, DP Gachagua was among key political leaders, including President William Ruto, who led the country in mourning the deceased.
While the Head of State described Prof Magoha as a great man who stood tall in academia, Mr Gachagua remembered the late Cabinet Secretary for serving the country with zeal.
“I have learned about the death of Prof George Magoha with great shock. My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Prof Magoha
“Known for his independence of mind and fearlessness, Prof was an accomplished professional who served the republic of Kenya with zeal. In his field of medicine, Prof George has made immense contributions to both practices of medicine and research,” Mr Gachagua said.
