Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Director of Communications Phillip Etale has launched a scathing attack on Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri over the ongoing maize shortage debate.
Etale accused the CS of trying to divert attention from the debate on whether there was a need to import maize by 'insulting' ODM party leader Raila Odinga who insists there is enough maize in the country.
In a tweet on Monday, he said farmers hate Kiunjuri and reminded the CS that his efforts to try to whip emotions so that people can stop questioning why he was insisting on importing the staple food will amount to nothing.
"It is not good for a whole CS who publicly declared that they were going to import maize to curb shortage try to spin his own undertaking by insulting Raila Odinga to try and whip emotions. CS Kiunjuri stop being vague. Farmers hate you. They do," Etale posted.
Etale was reacting after Kiunjuri on Sunday accused Raila of misleading Kenyans by claiming there was no maize shortage so as to tarnish the CS's name.
Speaking in Nyeri County, Kiunjuri said he was not corrupt as the former prime minister wanted Kenyans to believe, and revisited the fake gold scandal in which Raila's name was mentioned.
"If you deal with gold, do not imagine maize is gold. Some of the people spreading propaganda are involved in selling fake gold," the CS said, as quoted by the Nation.
Raila on Friday termed the maize shortage as artificial and claimed Kiunjuri was out to enrich himself by working with maize cartels.
"I am convinced that something is amiss and that the country may be getting dragged into the routine of artificial, ministry-made grain shortages to allow importation by a cartel in and out of government while consumers and farmers suffer," the ODM boss said.