Why bishop got a dressing-down

President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly scolded an Anglican Church of Kenya bishop at the burial of William ole Ntimama on Wednesday as the issue of Maasai political unity played out at the veteran politician’s Motonyi home in Narok County.

Bishop Julius Nalamae of the Fountain of Life church- was among the Maasai leaders who emphasised the need for the Maasai to remain united following the death of the former Cabinet minister, who was considered its uniting factor having brought into the fold people from beyond Kenya’s borders, including in Tanzania.

The Anglican bishop’s remarks, however, angered the President at the funeral attended by thousands of mourners.

Giving an example of the Luo where, he said, ODM leader Raila Odinga’s diehard supporters had given unity as the reason for rejecting former Cabinet minister Raphael Tuju in favour of the opposition chief, the bishop from Trans Mara urged the Maasai to make their unity a priority over development.

President Kenyatta admonished the clergyman, saying unity and development must go hand in hand.

“On unity before development, there is a bishop who said we must have unity of the Maasai first. I don’t know who he is but I would like us to know each other. But to say unity without development is stupidity,” said the President as he delivered his harsh criticism of the man of the cloth.

Speakers called for an urgent meeting to chart the way forward for the Maasai people.

Former Tanzanian Prime Minister and presidential aspirant Edward Lowassa urged Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery to take charge as the senior-most government official from the Maasai and convene a meeting for the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania, where all the leaders would discuss who shall be their next leader.

Narok Senator Stephen ole Ntutu, however, said a meeting would be convened where politicians would speak out their minds and “politic”.

He said: “We shall convene a large Maasai meeting to sort out issues after three weeks. We don’t want to fight on Ntimama’s grave now.”

Narok North MP Moitalel ole Kenta, a close ally of Mr Ntimama’s, said a new leader would not be imposed on them.

Those touted as possible successors of Mr Ntimama, include Mr Ntutu, Mr Kenta and Mr Nkaissery.

Earlier, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale had bluntly told the Maasai that they must remain in Jubilee as Mr Ntimama had shown them the way when he led a delegation to State House recently.