Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, on Wednesday, June 3, issued a public apology to Makueni County First Lady, Anita Mutula, after allegedly making unpalatable remarks about her in a leaked audio clip.
Maanzo claimed that the audio clip of a phone call in which he was recorded was doctored to implicate him and to purport that he insulted Mutula and her husband, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo.
He claimed that a politician from the region was working in cahoots with others to soil his name and his relationship with the Mutulas.
The Senator acknowledged that, although doctored, the leaked audio clip amounted to cyberbullying, a practise he strongly stood firm against.
"I apologise to all those affected, especially the first lady and all women of Makueni. Cyberbullying, which I was fighting, destroys lives and relationships, creating disharmony in Society," he stated.
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Maanzo added that the clip caused tension in the county and undermined the unity of the leaders within the Wiper Patriotic Front.
"Our main focus is a better Makueni and a Great Kenyan Nation. The current situation impedes that aspiration which The WPF has been working on, and wishes not to curtail that effort," he added.
Speaking during a radio interview on Tuesday, the Senator disclosed that he attempted to reach out to Governor Kilonzo and his wife to explain the controversial leaked phone call.
He disclosed that the county chief did not answer his phone call, but responded on WhatsApp. He maintained that the audio did not damage the relationship between him and the Mutulas, adding that they were close family friends.
Former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana criticised Maanzo for the allegedly doctored audio clip, stating that he had crossed the line.
Kibwana claimed that the attack on the Makueni First Lady was an attack on all women and demanded that the Senator apologise to all those concerned.
He further offered to mediate the matter, which he maintained did not need to be escalated, and called on the leaders to forgive each other.
