Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has dismissed an ‘apology’ issued by Trade Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria over his comments that Kenyans should brace themselves for even higher fuel prices in the coming months.
The CS said fuel prices in the country will continue to rise by at least Kes 10 every month until February next year amid a public uproar after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) revised the prices last week. Further, Kuria told off those complaining by telling them to dig their own oil wells.
Kuria and other officials received criticism for this from Khalwale and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who admonished them against speaking arrogantly to Kenyans. On Wednesday, the CS took it to X formerly Twitter to apologize in the seemingly tongue-in-cheek post.
“Dear Kenyans. On Friday, September 15th, I made some comments indicating that the price of fuel is likely to go up in the coming months owing to global dynamics. I have since been advised by people like Dr. Boni Khalwale and his master that the statement was incorrect, insensitive, and inaccurate. I am now made to understand that the price will come down. I apologize profusely since to err is human,” Kuria wrote.
However, responding to Kuria’s remarks on Thursday in an Interview on Citizen TV’s Day Break, Senator Khalwale said that the minister was being sarcastic and was not sincere with his apology.
“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,” he said.
“I don’t know who he was apologizing to, if it includes me then until I read an apology from him is when I will make a decision whether to accept it or not.”
“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 well that is the kind of arrogance, we will not keep quiet,” he said.