The recent wave of violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters is not only alarming but has been fueled by dangerous rhetoric from top government officials.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission must rise to the occasion and summon these leaders who are openly inciting the police to use excessive force against citizens.
Kenyans are not blind to the power of words, especially when spoken by those in authority. Recent utterances by some politicians have only served to pour fuel on an already raging fire.
Instead of calming tensions and calling for dialogue, these officials have gone on record issuing reckless, inflammatory statements that embolden law enforcers to act with impunity.
Such statements not only compromise national cohesion but also place innocent lives in danger.
The constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. When leaders speak in ways that suggest protestors are enemies of the state or deserving of violence, they effectively sabotage the democratic space and the very fabric of nationhood.
The anger Kenyans feel is not just about the cost of living, but about being unheard, dismissed and brutalised.
By failing to act, the NCIC risks becoming complicit in the deterioration of peace. It must urgently summon those responsible and hold them accountable.
If it remains silent, it sends a dangerous message: that incitement from the top is acceptable, and that the pain of ordinary citizens does not matter.
We must remember that Kenya is bigger than any one regime. The role of government is to serve, not suppress.
And the duty of the NCIC is to ensure unity, not watch it crumble under the weight of careless politics. The time to act is now, before more blood is spilt in the name of leadership.
Kinangop, Nyandarua county
