By MKT Reporter
Nyandarua Senator John Methu has refused to apologise for telling President William Ruto “I respect you but do not fear you” at the requiem mass of Ol Kalou MP David Njuguna Kiaraho last Thursday, insisting he was exercising his constitutional mandate, not staging a personal attack.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Methu was unapologetic and precise. He drew a clear distinction between respect, which he says he extends to the President unreservedly, and fear, which he argues is incompatible with the duty of an elected legislator. “Fear is a very bad trait and you have to overcome it to become a good person,” he said. “You only need to respect him as a leader and a father — but it would be wrong for me to fear him.”
The Senator’s remarks at the funeral service ignited an immediate political firestorm, with allies of the President denouncing them as disrespectful and ill-timed. Critics urged him to “tame his tongue” and honour the authority of the Head of State. Methu was unmoved. “Even if given a microphone another time, I would say the exact words,” he told Citizen TV. “I am proud that I was able to defeat fear and speak in front of him about things that really matter.”
At the heart of his intervention was a specific and pointed grievance: a 51-kilometre road connecting Njambini to Gatura in Murang’a, which the Uhuru Kenyatta administration had brought to within seven kilometres of completion. More than three and a half years into President Ruto’s term, Methu says that final stretch remains impassable. “It is not my work to clap for William Ruto,” he said bluntly. “A Senator is supposed to play oversight.”
That framing — oversight as duty, not defiance — sits at the centre of Methu’s defence. Kenya’s constitution expressly tasks legislators with holding the executive accountable, a function that requires neither permission nor popularity to perform. In invoking it, Methu is making a case that transcends his own political survival: that a democracy in which senators fear to speak plainly to presidents is one already in serious trouble.
His closing appeal was directed not at Ruto, but at ordinary Kenyans. “If you can’t defeat fear, you can never speak up,” he said. “I want to encourage our people, both young and old — speak up, speak up!”
In a political culture that too often rewards silence and punishes candour, that message may prove to be his most consequential yet.
Similar Posts by Mt Kenya Times:
- Mt Kenya Times ePAPER May 18, 2026
- Diaspora Times Global May 16 – May 22, 2026
- Ruto celebrates Thika High 70 Years, announces major expansion of learning facilities
- Rach Harvey: Championing Kindness as a Force for Global Change
- Zimbabwe’s tensions mount: Moyo, Mnangagwa trade blows over constitutional changes