There are just too many guns around politicians' waists

Kisumu Senator Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o is slightly younger than my father at 72. He fought prostate cancer and came up with a body to help those grappling with the decease.

This week he went for a political rally in Migori. Chaos imploded and guns were drawn and triggers pulled. Nyong'o appeared on television lying under what must have been an upturned table.

Mombasa Governor Ali Joho was visiting too and local Governor Okoth Obado arrived with his thugs to question why he was gatecrashing into Migori. In the chaos Joho's bodyguard took a bullet which the Mombasa Governor claims was aimed at him.

Earlier, Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma wrestled and exchanged blows with aspirant Washington Ogaga before Orange leader Raila Odinga. The party later fined the two Sh100, 000 for the disgraceful act. The hostility had been between supporters of Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti and Kasipul Kabondo MP Oyugi Magwaga.

More fights

In Mombasa Joho was teargased and in Murang'a supporters of Governor Mwangi wa Iria and Kigumo MP Mr Jamleck Kamau clashed. In Turkana political violence saw a young girl shot and the bullet lodged in her body.

Then on Wednesday supporters of Senator Elizabeth Ongoro stormed Orange House and unleashed terror on party officials, the target being Mr Oduor Ong'wen. The beef was that a lie had been spurned that she had defected and a direct ticket given to Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang' who she is fighting to unseat. She also made other claims on ticket-for-sale in the house that symbolizes modern-day opposition and liberation politics.

In all these cases of violence the startling fact is the presence of guns in the hands of politicians and their protectors. Very soon rival aspirants will turn the guns on rivals. It isn't of course farfetched that we have seen this evil at work in Baringo where an aspirant for Tiaty constituency seat now in the hands of Asman Kamama, Mr Pepee Kitambaa and a local MCA Mr Kibet Cheretei were gunned in public glare.

The sense many get is that there are too many guns bulging from the fat waists of our politicians. We could also be right to suspect that the women politicians have theirs in the all-utility handbags.

Let's do simple math using Jubilee's 8012 cleared aspirants. Of these 1444 are fighting for Senate, National Assembly, Women Representative, and Governors seats. Assuming each has four armed guards, that means we have 7220 guns in their hands. Remember we have not counted the Opposition candidates as well as the 6568 who will be battling for Jubilee MCA tickets. A good guess would be that National Super-Alliance (NASA) must have cleared slightly more than Jubilee in the 5-gun category.

This is recipe for chaos and a ghastly harbinger of things to come. We could be tottering towards implosion of violence especially with the hardline positions taken on a tallying centre running parallel to that of the national polls body. We know from the ugly skirmishes in our football pitches what happens when one side does not believe the referee of the day is a neutral arbiter.

I was recently at a breakfast meeting where a senior journalist told new IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati that by his body demeanor and image of supplication when meeting the President, he could easily subjugate the polls body to the Executive.

He was advised to treat the President just like another aspirant so that he could win the trust of both sides of the political divide.

There two sets of guns being misused in these political scenarios. Those of the police officers and those around the waists of politicians' body-guards. The second category is what the State agencies should audit and even call them to a 'seminar' with the warning that they would be held personally liable for mishandling of the firearm. Many are government employees seconded to politicians and State officials.

Lastly, all guns in private hands must be audited to ensure the politicians don't have more than they need and that they are in the hands of disciplined individuals. They need the guns but if they are risky to others, they should be withdrawn.

Mr Tanui is Deputy Editorial Director and Managing Editor, The Standard. [email protected]