Merchants of tribal hate have grown more arrogant

The spectacle at Moi University on Tuesday demonstrates just how low the country’s leadership has sunk. It also shows our endless capacity to sink deeper and deeper still. Sometimes you think that we couldn’t possibly drop lower. Yet someone always proves you wrong. In the unlikely event that you missed it, two governors and several MPs led rowdy crowds from their tribe in an ugly demo in Eldoret. They issued threats. They gave ultimatums and brandished innuendo. The venue was the main campus of Moi University. They were protesting the appointment of Prof Laban Ayiro as Acting Vice Chancellor of what they say is “their university.” Reason? Ayiro is not from their tribe — the tribe of the university.

The rowdy marauders, some complete in three-piece suits and others in wild regalia, threatened to disrupt the graduation at the university. A governor “on duty” gave the National Government 24 hours to replace Ayiro with his tribesman. It is instructive that this is not the first time this governor has notoriously led rowdy tribal crowds in this region.