Former Gatanga MP, Uhuru loyalist and current Jubilee Party vice-chair David Murathe on Tuesday night took time to address his alleged connection to the infamous COVID-19 heist where billions of shillings were lost through dubious tenders issued out at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) .
Appearing on Citizen TV’s News Night hosted by award-winning journalist Waihiga Mwaura, Murathe distanced himself from the reports recently amplified by Raila Odinga’s former Chief of Protocol Tony Gachoka.
When asked to comment, Murathe said that Gachoka’s remarks were made from a bitter point sparked by sibling rivalry.
He went on to add that the former agitator turned television host has misplaced fears that the self-proclaimed fixer has intentions on taking his position as one of Raila Odinga’s right-hand men given the increased amount of time the two have been spending together since the handshake.
Murathe called out Gachoka over what he described as desperate attempts to recover the deteriorated connection between him the former PM.
“Tony used to be the right-hand man, the Chief of Protocol of the former Prime Minister, a position he left very unceremoniously and is trying to recover his position around the former Prime Minister,” started, adding, “I think he is feeling we are taking his place around the former Prime Minister which is not the case. Let him not bring those petty things into the larger picture regarding the unfolding political formation”.
“The less said about Tonny the better,” he continued in his response to Waihiga, “Everybody knows the history of Tonny Gachoka. Tonny’s family and my family were both in the Wines and Spirits business, Tonny ran down the family business,” Murathe brutally hit back.
“The less said about Tonny the better, everybody knows the history of Tonny Gachoka. Tonny’s family and my family were both in the wines and spirits business, Tonny ran down the family business…” – David Murathe, Jubilee Vice Chair #NewsNight pic.twitter.com/hV73qh5BcP
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 1, 2020
Gachoka had, in a series of tweets on August 23, claimed that Kenneth and Murathe orchestrated a procurement scheme in which Kenneth was to provide the funding.
He claimed that Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe cancelled a Ksh4.5 billion tender floated by Murathe.
Gachoka went on to describe Murathe as the biggest liability to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The claims raised eyebrows as Murathe and Gachoka had long been perceived as political allies due to their support of the president and the handshake with ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Murathe is among Kenya’s political elite’ in strong support of the contentious Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and who have declared to be open to a Raila Odinga presidency.
He (Murathe) is a vocal figure who debatably purports to speak for President Uhuru and by extension Mt Kenya.
