Tuju warns on polarisation

By Geoffrey Mosoku

NAIROBI; KENYA: Eagle alliance presidential aspirant Raphael Tuju has warned that Kenya risks plunging into anarchy if voters are not cautions on whom to elect.

Tuju said that the on-going political realignments were smacks of ethnic mobilization which will end up dividing the country further ahead of the polls.

“I do not see how our tribal formations will solve our problems as they are constituted currently. In fact they can only polarise the nation further. Already the polarisation has percolated down to the counties where clan based politics is likely to affect devolved governments negatively,” he said.

The former minister was addressing a press conference at a Nairobi hotel on Tuesday in what he termed as his New Year message to Kenyans.

Tuju said the on-going campaigns were taking a dangerous precedence of ‘We against Them’, similar to what happened in the country in 2007 leading to the infamous post-election violence that led to the loss of over 1,500 Kenyans, displacement of over a half a million others and destruction of property what billions of shillings.

“If we are not careful, what happened in 2007/08 was child play. It can be worse this elections of ethnic mobilization is what is being used to lobby for support.”

The presidential hopeful warned Kenyans that in the event violence grips the country, no one will be spared on the basis of his ethnicity adding that the economy will suffer the most. “In a scenario where things seem deliberately set to fall apart, it doesn’t matter what your tribe is even if you are a state house occupant. You will not solve outstanding issues in that atmosphere.”

While saying he spoke on behalf of himself and Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, the former minister warned that unemployment figures were souring in the country and Kenya was likely to experience the Arab spring like revolutions if agent solutions are not found.

“Not long time ago, no one thought Hosni Mubarak can be dispensed in Egypt where he always won polls at 90 per cent. No one could rule out that his son Gamar Mubarak was the heir apparent but now everyone knows what is happening,” he added.