Why Ruto’s UDA should set the pace against ethnic profiling

DP William Ruto addressing interest groups at Brookridge Gardens, Nyeri Town. February 14, 2022. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Timothy Garton Ash, a renowned British historian and commentator, posits, "transitions from the politics of violence to democratic compromise are always messy". Kenya is a witness to how messy this can be, and who the main culprits are - politicians.

Without belabouring recent alleged cases of ethnic incitement which are currently under investigation, I must state that William Ruto and his political allies in the Rift Valley region should be more alert regarding ethnic profiling. Moreover, Raila Odinga and other leaders seeking the presidency, must put ice cubes in their throats whenever they politic in the Rift Valley regions.

We all remember the 2008 post-election violence that left thousands of citizens dead and hundreds of thousands others displaced. The violence rendered the then democratic process null and void because all the political nemeses ended in government. So, the country spent billions of money conducting an exercise that did not birth democracy.

Politicians are the biggest culprits of ethnic incitement in such cosmopolitan areas, and the ball flies with a few majority tribes.

Foremost, what delineates ethnicity or tribalism in Kenya is how the five tribes, the Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Luo and Kamba relate before, during and after general elections. This is because, essentially, general elections are about them. So, as much as they are beneficiaries of the general elections, the five are also on the receiving end when election violence erupts.

From 2002, the five tribes have been coalescing alliances to form a government. In 2005, the five 'nations' rose against each other using ethnopolitical oligarchs - the Raila Odinga led ODM and Mwai Kibaki led PNU.

That’s why the most affected ‘nations’ in the infamous 2008 post-election violence were the Kalenjin and Kikuyu, who predominantly live together in the Rift Valley. In the same Rift Valley, other members of the big tribes mainly from Nyanza and the western live in identifiable clusters. So, the region becomes a boiling pot of the power-struggling nations.

Honestly, we all suffered, but the impact was more severe in the Rift Valley, especially between Kikuyus and Kalenjins or between other cluster groups such as Luos and Kisii in Naivasha and Nakuru. Naturally, other tribes in the country live far apart. It’s easier to attack someone in the neighbourhood than travelling to attack one far away.

President Uhuru Kenyatta with DP William Ruto outside Harambee House, Nairobi, 2014. [George Njunge, Standard]

In 2013 and 2017, the Kikuyu and Kalenjin, through the Jubilee alliance and later Jubilee Party, came together against the Kamba, Luo and Luhya nations who had CORD and Nasa. Note that the Jubilee alliance, Jubilee Party, Cord and Nasa were political, ethnic oligarchs for the five prominent tribes I am talking about. That's why I posited earlier that general elections are primarily about the five.

After 2017, the 2018 handshake purportedly brought the Luo and Kikuyu nations together. However, it appears that since Ruto and Raila cannot eat from the same political plate, the two nations are divided, and one had to go. Isn't that the reason a big chunk of Kalenjins is in UDA?

Now, the Mount Kenya region has a liking for Ruto. That’s a good report because the two nations are politically united and can call each other brothers. But, methinks this country cannot stand divided Kikuyu and Kalenjin nations. That’s why under all costs, uniting Kalenjins and Kikuyu’s is paramount and should be a de facto constitutional requirement.

In Kenya, there is no place where Luos and Kikuyu heavily co-exist at a magnitude of Kalenjins and Kikuyu in the Rift Valley. Kamba nation cannot fight their kin and kith in their seclusion in Ukambani. The Luhyas can’t fight neighbouring Luos and Kisiis because they are mainly on the same political side.

That’s why I deduce that Ruto has the highest responsibility of ensuring ethnic tolerance stands in the Rift Valley first. Then, he must be the watchdog of other leaders coming to seek votes in the region. He must set the pace.

Dr Ndonye Is a Lecturer of Communication and Media. @Dr_Mndonye