A dramatic online exchange between Kenyan Members of Parliament, Hon. Babu Owino and Hon. Peter Kaluma, has stirred conversation among Kenyans after the two leaders publicly clashed on X (formerly Twitter) over mathematics knowledge.
The surprising argument, which began as a simple jab, quickly turned into an intense back-and-forth that left many social media users amused and others concerned about the maturity of their leaders.
The drama started when Hon. Kaluma mocked Babu Owino by suggesting that he lacked an understanding of basic mathematics.
In his tweet, Kaluma said, “You don’t even know BODMAS, kid brother. You only know plus and minus, like actuaries. Zero!” The mention of BODMAS, which stands for Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction, was clearly meant to insult Babu’s math skills, despite Babu having a background in Actuarial Science, a course that heavily relies on mathematics.
Not one to back down from an online challenge, Babu Owino responded with a harsh comeback. He accused Kaluma of jealousy and dismissed him as someone who should stick to gossip rather than talk about mathematics.
“You called me a mathematical dwarf? Please concentrate on gossiping. Leave math matters to academic giants,” Babu wrote. He added, “How can your brain change this nation? Totally useless!”
This direct insult quickly attracted attention, with many Kenyans jumping into the conversation.
Kaluma, not willing to let the matter go, hit back with another challenge. He dared Babu Owino to organize a math symposium and face him in a live competition. Kaluma claimed that Babu would be humbled if such a contest happened.
“The day you call for a math symposium between yourself and me is the day you’ll learn you don’t know math at all, brother. You are trying to argue with one of the best mathematicians in Kenya,” he declared.
Kenyans online reacted in different ways. Some supported Babu Owino, pointing out that his degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi proves his strong mathematical background. Others, however, felt that Kaluma had a point and praised his boldness for taking on Babu.
Some questioned why two lawmakers would waste time on such debates when the country is facing bigger problems like unemployment, a high cost of living, and corruption.
The exchange may have been humorous to some, but it also raised serious concerns about the conduct of elected leaders. Instead of engaging in constructive policy discussions or addressing pressing national issues, two MPs chose to trade insults over who understands math better.
This incident shows how political debates in Kenya are often reduced to personal attacks, leaving voters wondering if their leaders are truly focused on the job they were elected to do.
Leave feedback about this