Murkomen: Autocratic leadership style has helped Rwanda grow faster

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen the rite of passage ceremony for Kalenjin boys at at Karen in Nairobi on December 16, 2023. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen now says his comments about Rwanda leadership were merely meant to praise the East African nation not attack.

Appearing on Citizen TV earlier, Murkomen had cautioned against comparing Kenya and Rwanda, terming the country's leadership style as autocratic.

"Rwanda is not like Kenya. We must live with certain expectations as a country that come with democracy. Rwanda is an autocracy and there whatever the president says is the law," he said.

Murkomen was explaining achievements in his ministry when a question from Kisii Senator Reuben Onyonka brought in the Rwanda comparison.

He said Rwanda has achieved a lot because its leadership style makes it easy to realise gains that take time to push through in Kenya.

He said that due to the democracy in Kenya, every project is passed through various procedures before it is implemented, adding that this has hampered growth.

"Here every decision you make must go through a proposal then Parliament then public participation," said Murkomen.

He added that Rwanda's geographical size is of no match to Kenya.

"The size of Rwanda is almost the size of Kajiado County which is bigger. You cannot compare the political situation in Rwanda and the size of the country with our country and our democracy. This is why we have to employ technology to deal with corruption and cartels," Murkomen said.

His statement drew the ire of some Kenyans who took to X (formerly Twitter) to ventilate.

"CS Murkomen cannot attack a sovereign friendly state without provocation and disparage President Paul Kagame just like that. This is embarrassing," constitutional lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi wrote on X.

EALA MP Kanini Kega said: I have been in Rwanda for the last month, and this country is on a clear trajectory to prosperity because there is order, discipline, and strict adherence to the law. My friend Murkomen, take a flight to Kigali for a day and you will appreciate what adherence to law and order means."

But Murkomen fired back saying his statement merely meant that Kenya has a different leadership model which is too bureaucratic meaning implementing government policies takes longer.

In the earlier interview, Murkomen praised the political system in Rwanda claiming that it can be attributed to successful government projects being implemented smoothly in their country.

He said that his statement was an endorsement of Rwanda's leadership style.

"I have expressed my admiration for Rwanda's style of leadership which has made it possible for them to build good infrastructure including a new airport and enforce discipline and order on their roads," said Murkomen.