By Joshua Cheloti

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei is now asking government agencies to stop responding to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua through social media and press releases.

Cherargei says it is bad manners for the state agencies to publicly respond to the second in command via social media.

In a tweet on Monday, October 3, 2022, the vocal Senator said there are better channels that such agencies can use to respond to the Deputy President instead of resorting to social media, media and press releases.

“To all state agencies/officers, I.e CBK STOP responding to our DP Gachagua through social media/media/pressers it’s bad manners/ethics. They are better channels to communicate on govt issues & it’s about respect to the office,” Cherargei posted on his verified Twitter handle.

The tweet comes after the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) sent out a press release that contradicted DP Gachagua’s claim that the country had been hit with a shortage of forex exchange.

In an interview with Citizen TV on Sunday night, the Deputy President claimed some oil marketers would not purchase oil because of the forex exchange shortage.

“Tumekosa maneno ya Foreign Exchange hata jana pale katika benki kuu hakukuwa na zile pesa za kigeni za kutosha kuagiza mafuta kutoka nchi za nje (We have insufficient foreign exchange and the Central Bank does not have enough foreign currency for importing fuel),” Gachagua said.

But responding to the remark, CBK said that was not the correct position.

“The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) notes the comments by the Deputy President, His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, in an interview on Citizen Television on October 2, 2022. CBK would like to provide the correct position regarding where oil importers obtain the requisite foreign exchange and the adequacy of CBK’s foreign exchange cover,” CBK said in part of the statement.

“CBK does not supply foreign exchange for transactions other than for the National Government (i.e, the government’s imports or debt service payments) or CBK’s operations. Oil importers, therefore, obtain their requisite foreign exchange from the commercial banks and not CBK,” it added.