Ezekiel Mutua forced to apologise to his 'mentor' Makau Mutua after online fight

While calling out several people who blasted his proposal to share out Ksh. 20 million amongst 16,000 members of the MCSK, a tough-talking Mutua failed to see the sense in the criticism, calling his detractors 'dimwits' and, while at it, taking the opportunity to throw around unflattering descriptions of his namesake Makau Mutua, not only calling him a fake professor but also insinuating that he harboured 'malicious and lazy' brains.

"I am seeing some dimwits including a fake professor who lives in America and runs an eatery in Kitui misleading people that MCSK declared royalty distribution of Ksh20M will be shared equally among our 16000 members, hence every member will get Ksh1,250," he wrote on X. 

"I am sure that the fake Professor has a payroll for his eatery in Kitui and his workers don't earn the same amounts. We issued a statement to the media and indicated the criteria used for distribution in line with our rules. But malicious and lazy brains would rather propagate a lie than the facts. We live in a sick society!"

Always on his toes, Makau immediately responded to the unprovoked attacks, appearing to calm down the tempers and admonishing the former Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO for his ungentlemanly insolence.

"My namesake @EzekielMutua — no relation — I see that you’ve received and internalized my message.  A good start.  Juvenile insults, however, ought to be beneath a gentleman and an erudite man like you.  I taught you better!" he replied.

Almost immediately, the MCSK honcho replied to his 'teacher's' firm reprimand, agreeing to have been taught better but also appearing to double down on his attacks as this was done 'in the streets'.

"You did Sir, but it would appear like truth and good manners are not served in these streets otherwise you would have deleted your post after I clarified. You are a respected person and when you post a lie people take it for gospel truth! I respect you a lot. Ignore the street banter... " he wrote.

Soon after, Ezekiel went online to publish a lengthy tweet elucidating his relationship with the US-based legal guru, revealing that, away from the aggressive online facade, the two gentlemen were actually bosom buddies - Ezekiel went on to reveal that the Azimio mouthpiece actually taught him and helped open doors for him during his working sojourn in the USA.

He said: "I have spoken to my senior Prof. Makau Mutua and apologised profusely and unreservedly for my earlier post that did not sit well with him. Professor taught me and also gave me a lucrative job some years back. When I served in the UN Secretary General's Committee on Information between 2007 and 2010, I would wander through the streets of the University of New York at Buffalo and his name alone would open doors.

"He's a great guy, but sometimes he falters and veers into unnecessary controversy even on mundane things like royalty distribution. I just don't know what happens. But that doesn't mean he's fake. He's one of Kenya's finest. To the extent that my post was offensive, I sincerely apologise."

None of the two Mutuas is easy to tassle with online. A thoroughbred combatant, Makau Mutua has been through the trenches in pursuit of justice and political righteousness as a towering Raila Odinga associate and brilliant strategist.

On his part, Ezekiel Mutua is a man who has been through the roughest corridors of communication with his tenure at the KFCB testing his patience almost every single day as he battled disgruntled members and the entire public for most of his pronouncements and firm actions.