The Luo Council of Elders in Migori has urged Kenyans, particularly the youth, to reject activities that could incite violence ahead of next year’s General Election.
Chairman of the Suba Council of Elders, Riogi Riogi, called on communities to resist political attempts to turn them against one another, warning that such actions could undermine peace and national security.
Addressing the press in Migori town, Riogi said Kenyans should not be lured into community or inter-clan conflicts over land boundaries or other disputes.
“As God-fearing people, Kenyans should never be lured into community or inter-clan wars over land boundaries or through any other means,” he said.
Riogi cited the 1994 Rwanda Genocide and the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Kenya, which followed disputes over the presidential election, as painful reminders of the consequences of political incitement.
He urged Kenyans to learn from the two tragedies and work towards maintaining peace before, during and after next year’s elections.
The elder expressed concern over the use of young people to cause violence at political rallies organised by opposing factions, saying such acts undermined the freedoms guaranteed by the 2010 Constitution.
“It is worrying to hear some politicians issuing warnings to their opponents not to set foot in or hold rallies in areas they consider their political strongholds,” Riogi said.
He urged the government to take firm action against politicians making inflammatory remarks, warning that failure to address incitement early could allow tensions to escalate beyond control.
Riogi also called on political leaders to embrace the message of reconciliation associated with the late former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and promote peaceful coexistence for the sake of national development.
He said Kenyans needed to strengthen the spirit of reconciliation and ensure that communities lived together peacefully despite political differences and disputes over land.
The elders’ leader maintained that all Kenyan communities were equal and that citizens from every ethnic group had the right to live and work anywhere in the country, regardless of their political affiliations.
Riogi further urged the government to make national unity a central theme of the election campaign, saying rising political and community tensions were threatening efforts to safeguard national security.
“This is not the time when people’s minds should be preoccupied with fears of being attacked by their perceived enemies. Instead, they should be mobilised to work tirelessly towards eradicating poverty and insecurity,” he said.
Riogi expressed optimism that Kenya would avoid a repeat of the 2007/2008 post-election violence, which claimed more than 1,000 lives and displaced nearly 400,000 people from their homes.
By George Agimba
