- The ODM chief said peace-loving Kenyans should now be more worried.
- He warned that early 2022 campaigns are fuelling violence with some leaders using youths to get their way.
Image: MATHEWS NDANYI
ODM leader Raila Odinga has said the violence that greeted Deputy President William Ruto’s visit to Murang’a on Sunday is a precursor of what awaits the country in 2022.
Raila said there was a need for peace-loving Kenyans to be more concerned, cautioning that the seeds of 2022 poll violence are being planted now.
His allies view Ruto as dangerous and vengeful - a man to be stopped before the 2022 elections.
Raila said the chaos that left two people dead and scores of others injured was a product of machinations by politicians who want to use unorthodox means to take power in 2022.
On Sunday, rival Jubilee factions Kieleweke and Tangatanga clashed during Ruto’s visit to Kenol in Murang’a county, leaving a trail of bloodshed.
Raila alleged that those orchestrating violence had been recruiting youths to propel them to power in 2022 through violence.
“This spectre of violence and vandalism in the name of a presidential election that is over two years away should be a serious cause for concern to all peace-loving Kenyans,” he said in a statement to newsrooms.
He appealed to leaders to acknowledge that systemic violence had plagued Kenya for far too long and all Kenyans need to commit to working together to confront and end it.
“The seeds of violence being planted now could easily follow us into that election, with grave consequences.”
He urged political leaders to stop early campaigns and condemned the chaos in Murang'a on Sunday.
"Let’s renounce the politics of violence and militariastion of our youth as a mean of achieving power," he said.
"We must regard such politics as outdated and out of tune with our current aspirations to move past our divided and bitter past as a nation in favour of politics of engagement rather than confrontation."
At Parliament Buildings, his troops hit out at Ruto, describing him a dangerous person who should be stopped before 2022 elections.
The seven ODM lawmakers said the chaos that erupted during the DP's visit to Kenol was planned by Ruto and allies and is just the tip of an iceberg of what is in Ruto’s bag for 2022.
They said the DP had started mobilising the country for war should things not go his way in 2022.
The MPs were led by National Assembly Minority leader John Mbadi and Minority whip Junet Mohammed.
Junet said they will not allow the DP to oversee another wave of bloodshed in the country.
“What happened in Murang’a yesterday (Sunday) is a new confirmation that Ruto believes it is either him or nothing. Ruto is pursuing a scorched earth policy against our beautiful country and its people,” he said.
According to him, Ruto knows that the only option to ascend to power now that the Jubilee window is closing is through violence.
“As a country, we must wake up and see Ruto for whom he is. Ruto is bitter, Ruto is angry. Ruto is entitled and vengeful. In other words, Ruto is an extremely dangerous man.”
Mbadi said the DP has been the constant name in the 1992 and 2007 election chaos that led to deaths and eviction of people in his Rift Valley backyard.
"In 2007, as ODM we were busy looking for votes but Ruto was busy mobilising youths to evict people from Rift Valley and when elections results were out he went into action. He has started again going into 2022," he said.
The Suna East MP alleged the DP was planning violence during his upcoming Kisumu county visit using his new political catch and former Raila aide Eliud Owalo.
“Ruto is planning similar violence in Kisumu. He has sent one Owalo to meet youths the whole weekend with aims of causing chaos in his visit to Kisumu.”
The other MPs were Jared Okelo (Nyando), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay MP), Antony Oluoch (Mathare), Paul Abuor (Rongo) and nominated Senator Gertrude Mashruve.
They called on religious leaders to be wary of politicians fanning violence and hiding in places of worship.
Edited by Henry Makori