Moses Kuria: The making of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of Kenya

That no doubt points to a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde phenomena well illustrated by Scottish novelist Robert Loius Stevenson in his 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The story of two contradicting characters in the village. Dr Jekyll was a healer, a good man, but Mr Hyde was a criminal. Investigations revealed that the two were apparently the same man.

Whenever poets wrote about Mike Tyson back in the 1990s they said that talent got him out of the village but the village refused to get out of him. To some in Kenya, that assessment fits Kenya Kwanza's Trade CS.

Here is a man who was born in the village, went to Githuya Primary School in Gatundu, proceeded to Ituru Secondary School in the same vicinity and later saw tarmac in Nairobi after being admitted at the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

The Standard managed to interview a few people who know Kuria on a professional level and they all agree he has faces of a coin: two sides of the same. One, the King's head, the other, a devil's tail. I guess that is why many find it difficult to believe that Kuria has had a successful banking career.

Strategist per excellence

As early as 1994, Kuria was an auditor for Family Finance and Building Society and then joined the prestigious Standard Chartered Bank as a Senior Analyst, re-engineering Business Processes.

"People should remember that Kuria was the Chief Operating Officer for Wamad Info Services in Dubai and later worked as Manager of Business Processes at the Al Rajhi Bank in Saudi Arabia. He rubbed shoulders with Arab money," a source stated.

President Mwai Kibaki saw his potential and brought him back to the country where he served as a consultant in his government on matters of international trade. A strategist per excellence he was then grabbed by National Alliance Party (TNA) as a Director of Strategy.

"I've worked with CS Moses Kuria in political spaces as well as private ones - and there is a Moses Kuria popularly known as MK that the world doesn't know," sais Maliba Arnold Nyajayi, Executive Director, Open Future Hub and Public Policy Analyst, who worked with Kuria at formation of Jubilee party.

"When it comes to political strategy and matters of trade, Moses Kuria is a serpent sharp. On both public and classified teams where I served with Moses Kuria, he was the prophet of genius on the strategy board and table. Many people we worked with can recall how he'd predict a political future with accuracy that could rival a Jewish prophet. In 2016 - in a Jubilee strategy meeting, as we did scenario building, Moses told everyone that Raila would not only lose (this was almost certain), but will pursue a handshake."

"Secondly, far from the perception that he doesn't care about public reaction and perception, he actually cares - one time - he put up a nasty post about a female MP in the heat of NASA vs. Jubilee wars during the Jubilee 1.0 era, he'd delete it later at night. In a conversation on the same, he said he had an audience that expected him to deliver, but after doing it, he said, he has women in his life and that he respects them as much."

"Moses has an eye for technology, despite being in his 50s, Moses keeps abreast with all matters of technology and how that can be turned into money. He's so tech-savvy that he rivals top tech people in conversations in strategy backrooms."

"During the time I worked with him, I realised he had a very soft spot for his family. The savage MK everyone sees is very soft and almost tender when talking about his son and family."

"Moses supports Gor Mahia so much, that he has bought their jerseys every season. Knows Gor Mahia's history."

"Moses is a good writer, as well as an avid reader. He has a detailed and enviable grasp on literally every subject."

"Stoking controversy is however what he has been known for since joining politics. He has been held in police cells and even arraigned over derogatory remarks which he goes back to soon after he gets a chance to speak."

"Just this week, Kuria has found himself on leading pages of local dailies, not for getting his ministry or act together, but for attacking the media with unprintables. The Trade CS on Tuesday, June 20 continued his erratic, divisive and downright reckless tweets directed at the media despite suffering a blowback from various stakeholders and netizens," Nyajayi revealed.

Former Kiambaa MP Jude Njomo worked closely with Kuria when he was Gatundu South MP between 2017 and 2022 and even earlier.

"Kuria is a smart guy and good at laying strategy. Only problem is that he has a loose mouth and can say anything without a second thought," says Njomo adding that, "he once gave me a piece of his loose tongue at a media interview "

The former MP believes that now that Kuria is CS he must quickly learn to control most of the stuff that goes on in his mind and lock it in there. "But he is a smart guy. Kuria is"

Kuria, who has topped Twitter trends this week, took to social media platform to extend his wild sentiments attacking the media stable. "Good morning Kenyans. Have a splendid day. From a brothel on Kimathi Street," he tweeted.

Exactly a month ago, the government moved to avert a possible diplomatic tiff with Sudan following a remark by the CS which appeared to suggest that the military should invade the country.

Kuria tweeted that the African Union should marshal a strong army to 'bomb' Khartoum to act as a lesson to other countries, arguing, "appeasement does not pay off."

"The Sudan lesson is simple. The community of nations should militarily invade any country where armies overthrow the government," he said.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singoei was forced to step in and clear the air terming Kuria's comment as personal views and that they in no way represent the position of the government.

In February, Kuria was caught in a storm with the management of China Square - a retail market at Kenyatta University's UniCity Mall.

The store was forced to close down after the Trade CS launched an attack, saying that foreign investors had set an unhealthy competition for small scale traders in Kenya.

However, the issue was resolved after a series of meetings and engagements between Kenya government officials and the Chinese Community in Kenya.

Kuria's acerbic tongue also left many in awe, not more than three months after being appointed Cabinet Secretary. This time, he took the Genetically Modified (GMO) food debate by the horns, literally.

"By just being in this county, you are a candidate for death. And because there are so many things competing to kill you, there is nothing wrong with adding GMO to that list," the CS stated during a live broadcast.

Talk of being a guest of the State. The 51-year-old has seen several walls of police stations as a result of his verbal and controversial remarks.

It is not lost on all how he nearly caused clashes in his constituency back in 2015 when he incited youth in the area to 'slash' politicians opposed to the NYS projects.

The same year saw Kuria arraigned for hate speech, not to forget he was the most vocal leader among the infamous 'Pangani six' politicians, who at the time were arraigned before a Nairobi law court for hate speech.

Assassination Remarks: In 2015, Kuria made remarks that were perceived as incitement to violence. He suggested that if the government did not stop the opposition's protests, they would be assassinated. His statement caused an uproar and he later apologized.

Hate Speech Allegations: Kuria has faced accusations of hate speech on multiple occasions. In 2016, he was charged with incitement to violence and hate speech after making inflammatory remarks against a community. The case was eventually withdrawn, but it drew significant attention and criticism.

Controversial Statements about Women: In 2020, Kuria made sexist remarks during a public gathering, suggesting that women should be beaten for being unfaithful. His comments sparked outrage from various quarters, including women's rights groups, who called for him to be held accountable for promoting violence against women.

Who can forget what Kuria said after the car of the late former Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission ICT manager Chris Msando was discovered abandoned at a Nairobi estate a few days after he was reported missing. He tweeted the picture of the car and a line alluding to a night out in the company a woman. Later Msando's body was found in Kikuyu.

The question lingering on many people's minds now is whether his recent attack on the media could be the straw that broke the camel's back.