Is political intolerance now a campaign tool?

What will be the net effect of allowing violence to reign in an election year?

The economy will take a further beating even before it recovers from Covid-19 and rampant mismanagement through unchecked borrowing and wasting of public funds through corruption.

Political intolerance appears to be in high gear ahead of next year’s general election. Presidential hopefuls have begun to crisscross the country in what is promising to be a high-voltage campaign.

Are we beginning to witness renewed political intolerance in some quarters of this country. if recent events are anything to go by?

Confirmed reports that Deputy President William Ruto’s motorcade was pelted with stones in Kondele, Kisumu county, is a pointer to a worrying trend.

A similar incident was witnessed when Jimi Wanjigi, who is seeking ODM ticket to run for president, was attacked in Migori.

Two months ago, DP Ruto's visit to Nyeri county was full of drama after a section of youths caused chaos and started burning T-shirts branded "Uhuru's bedroom" as others attempted to stone DP Ruto's motorcade.

It should not be lost on us that some of this intolerance is not only organised by known politicians but also celebrated as a show of might in what is perceived as political bedrooms or strongholds for certain leaders.

Reports that some elected leaders, including MCAs and MPs, are often involved in planting political animosity should jolt law enforcement agencies into taking action. 

What is even annoying is the fact that some leading politicians could afford to encourage violence through their Twitter handles, with one tweet from a young politician known for his love for violence reading, " Kondele Defence Forces (KDT) thank you for the good work done."

One wonders why such politicians should afford to work freely after breaking the law. 

The press statement from Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai  confirming alleged plans and high tension raises more questions than answers on what needed to be do to avert the situation.

The wording of the IG's press release to the chaos demonstrates that it was possible to bring to book the planners and funders of the chaos that continue to define the political landscape, if indeed Kenya is to remain as a constitutional democracy.

In a constitutional democracy like ours, every leader seeking public office should be allowed to market their agenda across the country. We can always have a discussion around the timing of campaigns but we should not debate on what the police should do in case of planned chaos, if Kenya hopes to hold peaceful elections in less than 10 months. 

Perhaps one last question most Kenyans would want to be answered is the role of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

Has the NCIC become moribund like other constitutional commissions that are hardly serving their intended purpose?

We have witnessed failures of the commission to decisively deal with cases of political incitement in political campaigns and this trend is likely to continue unabated.

Unfortunately, if the situation is not arrested in good time, we are normalising violence as an election tool as we gear up for high gear power plays ahead of the 2022 polls.

Finally, ordinary voters should make an informed decision on what kind of country they want. We have tried the path of violence in the past elections and always paid dearly only to find reason in a peaceful settlement.

What example are we handing over to the next generation? As former US President Barack Obama would say, “The greatest challenge of our times is to raise kids with the right values.”

Maybe we should not blame our children when they burn schools under our watch. It is my considered view that Kenyans can stop violent campaigns, if we love our country.