Ambassador Macharia Kamau, who served as the Principal Secretary (PS) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration has received backlash after calling Kenya a depressing nation.
Kamau in a statement on Monday, December 4, lamented that arriving in Kenya from an international trip showed one the difference between the backwardness of the infrastructure in Kenya.
Also, he ridiculed the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) calling it a makeshift. He added that coming home felt like being in a stone age.
“Sometimes one arrives home from an international trip, say from Dubai, and one looks out the window of the plane at the depressing and chaotic urban sprawl.
“And then get into the makeshift warehouse that is the terminal and one just want to weep. It’s like we are still in the Stone Age,” he stated.
Criticism From Kenyans in Response
In response, the former PS was reprimanded for blaming the government, yet he was part of the regime that burdened the nation leaving it with debt and additional financial burden.
In addition, Macharia was told off for not making any outstanding change while in a position of power, yet he complains when things go wrong.
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“You are not even smart enough to know that this is the sad legacy of your employer. I hope you remind him constantly of how he wasted Kenya as you gleefully clapped for him,” city lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi responded.
At the same time, Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai stated that the former regime was led by both the former and current president and politicians ought not to blame only one individual.
“The things Uhuru and Ruto left us then now their staff behave like they are from mars,” he stated.
Macharia responds to critics
In response, Kamau stated that despite the fact that Kenyans and wonderful people with great personalities, there was room for growth.
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“Yes, we have to work harder and smarter. that is the point. Different events triggered different impulses. You need not be regimented. Kenya is beautiful and our people on average kind and gentle.
“But that does not mean that we can’t do better with our infrastructure. Denial will get us nowhere,” he stated.
Additionally, he stated that the country could only move forward if Kenyans saw the importance of collective responsibility and understood that everyone was accountable.
“I have always been critical of what I thought could be improved. I will not stop whether i am in or out of official duties. Our condition is improved by constructive criticism,” he added.