Trading insults never solved a country’s problems, it won't do so now

Rigathi Gachagua, the unreserved government-bashing former Deputy President, started it all by launching the first sortie.

Instead of focusing on drumming up the opposition’s agenda in the context of the 2027 general election, he chose to skewer his political rival with a cheap, vituperative outburst and hoped he would earn plaudits from the gallery.

That would all have been fair game had it been school ground bullies parading their verbal dexterity at coining jibes.

Sadly it was our supposedly senior politician who was showing how low he can stoop.

But the victim of the unprovoked attack, President William Ruto, the following day, showed just how rough a punch he can pack when he unleashed such a devastating admonition that left the public in humorous shock.

Ruto occupies a special place as the head of state; in the ordinary course of things, he should ignore the likes of Gachagua and focus on the real issues.

Provoked or not, joining the fray, even though it should provide a warning to the instigators of the mess, should never be a defence.

Kenya is facing major socioeconomic challenges and the men and women responsible to lead, both in the opposition and government, would be best advised to focus on the onus of the offices they hold.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Love makes money-grabbing seem contemptible; love makes class prejudice impossible; love makes selfish ambition a thing to be despised; love converts enemies into friends.” —William Jennings Bryan, American orator and statesman known as ‘The Great Commoner’, was born on March 19, 1860