Political commentator Mutahi Ngunyi has sparked fresh curiosity with a pointed question about Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, revisiting the now-famous “chicken” debate that has followed the politician for months.
Ngunyi said he had no major problem with Sifuna, but raised one unusual question that he wanted someone to explain.
His remarks have added a new twist to a political joke that began with a debate over affordable housing.
Ngunyi asked why Sifuna would allegedly want to take a chicken to a 12th-floor apartment at night, only to release it the following morning.
He then challenged his followers to help him understand the issue, writing that he needed someone to “bring me to speed on this one.”
The comment was clearly framed as a question, rather than an established account of an actual event.
The background goes back to July, when Sifuna questioned whether high-rise affordable housing units were suitable for communities in Western Kenya.
During an interview, he asked how a chicken would reach the 12th floor, arguing that the housing design should take local lifestyles into consideration.
The remarks quickly became a major political talking point.
President William Ruto later joined the exchange, dismissing the criticism and joking that lifts could be provided for chickens in multi-storey buildings.
In September, he revived the subject during a visit to Taita Taveta, saying that if there was a problem taking chickens upstairs, “we put lifts” so the chickens could also go up.
Ngunyi’s latest remarks therefore appear to breathe new life into an already familiar political exchange.
Rather than focusing on the broader housing debate, he has turned attention to the unusual chicken scenario and challenged the public to explain it.
Whether viewed as satire, political commentary or a continuation of the housing argument, his question is likely to keep the unusual debate alive.