By NJERI RUGENE nrugene@ke.nationmedia.com and EMEKA-MAYAKA GEKARA gmayaka@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, February 11 2012 at 22:16
Posted Saturday, February 11 2012 at 22:16
The raid on the home of Lari MP David Njuguna following his comments at a presidential function in Kisumu has turned attention to another outbreak of political thuggery and intolerance.
As the country prepares for another General Elections, and memories of the 2008 political violence are still fresh in the minds of victims, the attack on the night of February 4 is a disturbing signal that if untamed, political hooliganism could return to haunt the nation.
The attack also strikes at the heart of the Bill of Rights, especially the right to freedom of expression and association.
And coming hardly a month after the International Criminal Court indicted four Kenyans on crimes related to the post-election violence is an indication that the culture of violence and intimidation remains deeply entrenched in some sections of the country.
Even more disturbing is that the Lari raid and condemnation that greeted a meeting between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Kikuyu leaders have revealed deep-seated mistrust and suspicion between communities.
On February 3, Mr Njuguna addressed a function at which the President and the Prime Minister opened the refurbished Kisumu International Airport.
The former teacher was the only backbencher from Central Kenya at the function during which he called on President Kibaki to endorse Mr Odinga as his successor.
The Lari MP recalled that Mr Odinga’s father, Jaramogi Oginga, had called for founding President Jomo Kenyatta’s release.
He also reminded President Kibaki that he benefited from Mr Odinga’s ‘Kibaki Tosha’ endorsement in 2002.
The following day, arsonists raided his home and burnt his parked Peugeot 504 in an attack that has been linked to the Kisumu remark.
Not consulted
And, on Thursday, PNU Alliance politicians from Murang’a rebuked Mr Ngunjiri Wambugu, the host of the forum addressed by Mr Odinga, accusing his Changes Associates lobby of fronting for the PM and complained that he did not “consult the community.”
As far as they are concerned, Mr Odinga is an “enemy” of the Kikuyu community, a stereotype that the Wambugu group said they want to fight using similar forums.
In what has become an increasingly disturbing trend, the two incidents became fodder for faceless hate mongers on social media.
Even some respected professionals have joined the hate campaign on Facebook and Twitter.
Githunguri MP Njoroge Baiya, the vice-chairman of the House Committee on Justice, has cautioned that if those responsible are not held to account, the politically motivated violence could fins its way into the next election.
Mr Baiya also challenged politicians to come out and denounce any sign of political hooliganism whenever it rears its ugly head.
“While I may not agree with Mr Njuguna’s remarks in Kisumu, we must learn to respect and tolerate other peoples’ rights and freedoms which are safeguarded in the Constitution,” he told the Sunday Nation.
“By keeping silent in the face of such intolerance, as leaders we will be seen to be condoning lawlessness and intolerance.’’
Notably, politicians such as Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Cabinet minister Chirau Mwakwere and Eugene Wamalwa and an array of PNU MPs who were enthusiastic in condemning the stoning of Raphael Tuju’s campaign vehicles last year are yet to say anything about the raid on Mr Njuguna’s home.
The emerging hostility towards dissenting political opinion in Central Province is linked to a declaration at a meeting in Murang’a hosted by Environment Minister John Michuki.
Undisputed leader
The Kangema MP anointed Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta as the undisputed leader of the Kikuyu and implied anybody opposing him would face the wrath of the community.
“If you ask me,” said the minister, “anyone who wants to work with us must go through Uhuru (Kenyatta) who is the Kikuyu leader. Otherwise we are going to fight you politically.”
National Cohesion chief Mzalendo Kibunjia, while castigating the Lari attack, said Mr Njuguna is yet to file a complaint with his commission.
“If the MP feels that the incident is related to what happened in Kisumu, I advise him to file a complaint so that whoever is behind the goons is made to face the law,” Dr Kibunjia said.
To guard against election-related ethnic tensions, the commission has started what it is calling county conversations.
These will involve various communities and clans discussing the possibility of sharing of electoral seats especially in cosmopolitan settlements.
Dr Kibunjia referred to the negotiations as “guided democracy.” He told the Sunday Nation that the commission will treat the whole country as a hotspot in the countdown to the coming elections.
And to contain hate speech and incitement, the cohesion team will station at least six monitors in each of the 47 counties.
The monitors will be provided with recording gadgets and mobile phones to cover political rallies “so that when we take a politician to court, we will have our own witness with recordings.’’
Senior counsel Paul Muite cautioned politicians against attempts to return the country to the dark days of political zoning and intolerance.
“The era of hurling insults and throwing stones at candidates you do not like is gone. Voters from every section of country, including Nyanza and Central, should allow all candidates to sell their ideas and their agenda for Kenya and then make a choice,” the presidential hopeful said.
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