Kenya Insights

Tag: Junet Mohamed

  • Junet Assures Ruto of Somali Support, Says Community Will Shape 2027 Elections

    Junet Assures Ruto of Somali Support, Says Community Will Shape 2027 Elections

    Suna East MP Junet Mohamed has thrown his weight behind President William Ruto, assuring him of unwavering support from the Somali community as the country edges closer to the 2027 general elections.

    Speaking on Saturday during a fundraiser for Islamic institutions in Mandera County, Junet said the Somali community has been instrumental in Kenya’s economic growth and will be a decisive voting bloc in the next polls.

    “In our country, people have different opinions. One of the problems you are facing is that you are working with this community. There are people who are not happy with your relationship with the Somali community, Mr President. But the Somali people are hardworking, business-minded, and contribute significantly to the GDP,” Junet told Ruto.

    He added that the political weight of the Somali electorate would play a crucial role in shaping the outcome of the 2027 election.

    “The Somali community is strong, and from what I am seeing, in 2027, their numbers will determine the coming elections,” Junet said, urging the President to ignore critics questioning his close ties with the community.

    Junet further pledged that the Somali community would rally behind Ruto’s administration to ensure its development agenda is fulfilled before the next election.

    “The way things are moving, we shall reach 2027 together, God-willing,” he declared.

    President Ruto, who attended the fundraiser, emphasized the central role of education in unlocking opportunity and equality.

    “The more education is made accessible to our children, the more empowered, equal and prosperous we become. We applaud the Eltabashi Educational Trust’s dedication to supporting vulnerable children in Northern Kenya to access education,” Ruto said.

    The event brought together Somali leaders, scholars, and community members in support of education and empowerment initiatives.

    Junet’s remarks echo sentiments he made last month, where he described the 2027 elections as both a poll and a referendum on Kenya’s political culture. He argued that the era of exclusionary politics and entitlement to leadership would end with the next vote.

    “This coming election will determine, once and for all, the politics of locking some people out and allowing others in. The politics of saying so-and-so is not fit to be president will end in 2027,” Junet said in August.

    His open endorsement of President Ruto marks a significant political shift for the outspoken legislator, who was once a key ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga.

  • Junet Reveals Plan to Summon Muturi Over Sh10B Missing From Bunge Towers Construction

    Junet Reveals Plan to Summon Muturi Over Sh10B Missing From Bunge Towers Construction

    In what could be interpreted as a retaliatory move, Minority Leader Junet Mohammed has threatened to table a motion in Parliament to compel former Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Justin Muturi to appear before the House.

    The motion seeks to have Muturi explain how the cost of constructing Bunge Towers escalated by Sh10 billion during his tenure as Speaker of the National Assembly.

    This development comes just days after Muturi’s scathing exposé, in which he described President William Ruto’s administration as irredeemably corrupt.

    Speaking in Mombasa, where he attended the Eid Baraza on Saturday, April 5, 2025, Junet dismissed Muturi’s recent claims, arguing that the former CS should have reported the alleged corruption to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) instead of airing them publicly.

    Junet also took a swipe at Muturi, recalling how the former Speaker had refused to support Raila Odinga’s presidential bid ahead of the 2022 elections.

    “Before the 2022 elections, I approached him as my Speaker and asked him to support my father [Raila Odinga] for president. He told me he’d rather back ‘our thief Ruto’ than my father. Now, today, Ruto has become a bad person in his eyes. We’ve moved past such foolishness; we won’t be deceived by such tactics,” Junet remarked.

    While criticizing Muturi’s accusations against Ruto, Junet also shed light on the former CS’s alleged role in the Bunge Towers scandal, calling for fresh investigations into the matter.

    Muturi’s Accusations

    In a revealing interview, former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi accused President William Ruto of corruption, hypocrisy, and maintaining an iron-fisted grip over his Cabinet.

    Muturi claimed that Ruto pressured him to sign a Ksh129 billion tree-planting deal with Russian oligarchs and resisted attempts to force him to approve the controversial Arror and Kimwarer dam projects.

    He further alleged that Ruto governs by instilling fear in his Cabinet and had initially tried to lure him into accepting the role of Attorney General.

    “Justin Muturi spoke yesterday, and he said a lot. But all those things he’s saying, he should take them to the electoral body or the EACC for investigation. Because I, too, have a lot to say about him,” Junet said. “As an MP, I want to bring another motion.

    “He’s talked about everything except one issue. There’s a building at Parliament called Bunge Towers, which houses MPs’ offices. When we, as MPs, sat down, that building was supposed to be constructed for Ksh6 billion. By the time Muturi came into office, it was built for Ksh27 billion. He should explain to us how that house went from Ksh6 billion to Ksh27 billion.”

  • Looming Fallout: Azimio Threatens To Impeach Wetangula

    Looming Fallout: Azimio Threatens To Impeach Wetangula

    The opposition coalition has threatened to impeach National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula over alleged impartiality in his ruling, which contradicted a High Court decision declaring the Azimio coalition as the majority in Parliament.

    Minority Leader Junet Mohammed criticized Wetangula’s handling of the matter, accusing him of inconsistencies regarding the status of 14 MPs who defected from Azimio after signing post-election agreements with Kenya Kwanza.

    “When he made his first ruling, which was overturned by the court, he claimed the 14 members were part of Kenya Kwanza. Now, he says they are in political limbo—neither in Azimio nor Kenya Kwanza. This is a deliberate manipulation of numbers to ensure Kenya Kwanza remains the majority,” Junet said.

    The Suna East MP also questioned why the Jubilee Party was now being considered part of Azimio, despite Wetang’ula’s previous ruling stating that the party had defected to Kenya Kwanza.

    “We have always maintained that Jubilee is still part of Azimio, yet today he says the party is in Azimio. This ruling is full of contradictions and will be overturned in court, just like the previous one. Parliament is not immune to constitutional interpretation by the courts—it is not a court of appeal,” he added.

    ”Suppression

    The opposition also took issue with Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss for writing to the Registrar of Political Parties to seek details on post-election agreements, questioning her motives.

    “It’s going to be messy and noisy, and there will be casualties, I can promise you. The way Parliament is being handled is alarming. While we see broad-based governance in the Executive, Parliament is becoming one-sided,” Junet warned.

    Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo reiterated that political agreements must be guided by the law and accused the Speaker of deliberately suppressing Azimio’s numbers.

    “The 14 members who are supposedly in a political vacuum have done so to deny Azimio its rightful majority. Despite shifting political alliances, legal frameworks must be respected,” she stated.

    Minority Deputy Party Leader Robert Mbui also condemned Wetang’ula’s conduct, accusing him of bias and suppressing opposition voices during debates.

    “We have confirmed that the Speaker is not impartial. Throughout the debate, we noticed he was silencing us and blocking some of us from contributing. This is unacceptable and amounts to poor parliamentary practice,” Mbui said.

    Contested ruling

    Wetangula upheld the Kenya Kwanza Alliance as the majority coalition in the National Assembly in a fresh declaration following the High Court decision nullifying his initial declaration.

    In his ruling on the implications of the court decision on House proceedings, the Speaker cited post-election agreements filed with the Registrar of Political Parties as a key factor in determining the majority status.

    He referenced coalition agreements from the Registrar, which indicated that 14 MPs from five political parties had exited Azimio La Umoja, thereby denying the opposition coalition the majority status it sought.

    “Arising from the foregoing, the Kenya Kwanza Coalition is the Majority Party, and the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party is the Minority Party in the House,” Wetangula ruled.

    A letter from the Registrar of Political Parties confirmed the formal exit from Azimio by the People’s Liberation Party, Maendeleo Chap Chap Party, Devolution Empowerment Party, United Democratic Movement, and the Pamoja African Alliance.

  • Junet Mohamed Refutes Reports That He’s Interested In Succeeding Kindiki

    Junet Mohamed Refutes Reports That He’s Interested In Succeeding Kindiki

    National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed has refuted claims that he is seeking the position of Cabinet Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration.

    The position remains vacant after Kithure Kindiki was nominated and approved by Parliament as Deputy President-elect, following the ouster of Rigathi Gachagua.

    “Whereas an opportunity to serve fellow Kenyans in any capacity is always welcome, I wish to inform the public that I am neither one of the people angling for the job nor has the ODM Party shown any interest in seeking to have another party expert join the government in that capacity,” Mohamed clarified.

    The Suna East MP also emphasized that he has recently taken on his new responsibilities as the leader of the Minority Party in the National Assembly, which he described as “an equally very important constitutional office in our governance architecture.”

    President William Ruto, who appointed four senior ODM officials as Cabinet Secretaries, has made notable efforts to fulfill his commitment to a more inclusive government.

    In recent months, he has expanded his administration by bringing in members from the opposition party as part of a broader strategy to enhance national cohesion and service delivery.

    The move has been seen as an attempt to foster bipartisan governance and ensure greater political stability in the country.

    However, the Interior CS role remains a pivotal post within the administration, overseeing security and national administration.

    The vacancy has spurred rumors around various potential candidates, with speculation that the government may seek to fill the crucial position imminently.

    “I do hope this clarification puts the matter to rest and allows the country to focus on more important concerns,” Mohamed concluded, hoping to shift public focus to issues he considers more pressing.

    Mohammed’s statement comes as Kenya’s political landscape witnesses a significant reshaping, following the impeachment of Gachagua and with ongoing efforts by President Ruto to create a more inclusive and stable governance framework.

  • Junet Ordered To Pay Jicho Pevu Sh6M For Defamation

    Junet Ordered To Pay Jicho Pevu Sh6M For Defamation

    Suna East MP Junet Mohamed has been ordered to pay 6 million shillings in damages to Nyali MP Mohammed Ali, for making inappropriate comments about him on social media.

    The court said that the comments harmed Ali’s reputation and religious standing.

    “The tweet portrayed the plaintiff as a hypocrite who professes Islamic faith yet goes against its core teachings. This can largely be deciphered from how the other Twitter users reacted to the impugned tweet,” part of the court ruling reads.

    “In the upshot, I find that the plaintiff proved all the elements of the tort of defamation against the defendant,” it added.

    In 2022, the Nyali MP accused his Suna East colleague of defamation by alluding that he was having a sexual affair with a Twitter user Aoko.

  • Raila Defends Junet Over Azimio Agents Cash Saga

    Raila Defends Junet Over Azimio Agents Cash Saga

    Raila Odinga has come to the rescue of his close confidant Suna East Member of Parliament (MP) and the coalition’s Secretary-General Junet Mohammed  over allegations that he misappropriated funds meant for agents during the just-concluded August 9 election terming the accusations as malicious and baseless.

    In a statement shared by Raila Odinga Campaign Secretariat spokesperson Makau Mutua, the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition desisted the allegations reiterating that the Suna East MP never handled funds meant for agents.

    “We have seen shameful and disgusting attacks on some members of our campaign on the question of agents. Defamatory and obviously false allegations of the misappropriation of campaign funds are flying on social media.

    ‘Let me state without equivocation that Hon Mohammed was a campaign lad in the field supporting the Rt Hon Raila Odinga. He at no time-even once-handled funds meant for agents. Nor did Mr Mohamed have anything whatsoever to do with the management of agents,” the statement reads in parts.

    While maintaining that the August 9 elections were bungled, the coalition further stated that the claims circulating are merely false propaganda that members of the public must detest.

    “We acknowledge there is disappointment about how the IEBC conducted the election and with the decision of the Supreme Court, but malicious allegations against Hon Mohamed and any of the secretariat staff should be beneath the dignity of every person,” the statement added.

    “Importantly, let me state clearly that the issue of agents was not the cause of a bungled election. We must appreciate that it is not the responsibility of candidates to protect the vote, or conduct a free and fair election. That constitutional duty lies squarely with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) working in concert with relevant institutions. No one should blame Azimio or our candidates for stolen votes or a fatally flawed election,” said Prof Mutua in a statement.

    Following the former Prime Minister’s defeat by President-elect Dr William Ruto during the August General Election, bitter exchanges have dominated his camp with his lieutenants pointing fingers at each other for the loss.

    Some of the key figures who have suffered attacks majorly on social media are Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, who is also the Azimio Secretary General, former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Azimio Secretariat chief executive officer Elizabeth Meyo.

    The trio have been accused accused of bungling the election by failing to deploy enough agents across the country, in what the Raila Campaign secretariat says is lies and borders on defamation.

     

  • Orengo-Junet war that threatens to split Raila campaign team

    Orengo-Junet war that threatens to split Raila campaign team

    Bitter war has exploded between Siaya SenatorJames Orengo and Suna East MP Mohammed Junet who are both sycophantic supporters of ODM leader Raila Odinga who is planning to give a fifth stab at presidency. Orengo has not been happy with Junet who is now Odinga’s most trusted follower since the much hyped ‘Handshake’ between the ODM leader and President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 where Junet accompanied Mr Odinga while Orengo was left in the darkness. In 2008 Orengo was Raila’s aide and wwas instrumental during the formation of grand coalition government with President Mwai Kibaki.

    But  Orengo’s growing jealousy was later made serious after the loudmouth Junet made a loose remark during a Odinga’s campaign tour in Kisii where he said that Kikuyus will be treated like outsiders in Odinga’s government. The unwarranted comment pushed Orengo to hire goons and  local  MCAs to heckle the Suna East lawmaker who was to accompany Odinga to a similar rally in Kisumu but he skipped after getting the wind of Orengo’s dirty schemes. The senator wanted Kisumu youths to demand that Raila drops Junet from his campaign team.

    Junet’s closer relationship with Raila Odinga also saw him being chosen to co-chair the Building Bridges Initiative secretariat with former Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru who represented Uhuru/Kieleweke wing making it apparent that Odinga trusts Junet over Luo politicians. That favoritism has made him an enemy of irrelevant Luo politicians led by Senator James Orengo who is leading a cocoon of Luo politicians in ODM are now claiming that their tribal party has been taken hostage by outsiders.

    ODM’s  two deputy leaders are governors Hassan Joho of Mombasa County and Wycliffe Oparanya of Kakamega County, the secretary general is Edwin Sifuna who hails from Bungoma County but Junet has pocketed a couple of Luo politicians like Omondi Gwonyo to spy around other Luo politicians and report back to him.

    Orengo is leading the same clique that accused Odinga and Junet of falling for a raw deal on the distribution of the 70 constituencies in the collapsed BBI that were designed to benefit the Mt. Kenya region. He also led a section of Nyanza politicians including Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Samuel Atand and Aduma Owuor (Nyakach) who campaigned against the BBI document across Nyanza region arguing that Luos were being shortchanged through BBI.

    Gwonyo noted that when the BBI collapsed at the Court of Appeal Senator Orengo and his team celebrated their vindication as they placed Junet on the chopping board for ‘finishing’ Raila.