Leaders and investors nervous over rising tensions in Nakuru County

Jubilee and CORD supporters clash at Kiamunyi in Nakuru where ODM leader Raila Odinga was holding a private meeting with party officials on June 11, 2016. [PHOTO: KIPSANG JOSEPH]

When Nakuru sneezes, Kenya catches a cold, it has been said.

The town’s key position at the heart of the country makes it a melting pot of ethnic diversity and a citadel of power. Power, money, political intrigues and large scale farming have been the hallmark of this county since its founding by white farmers in the 20th century.

The town occupied a special place for the founding father of the nation Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and his successor Daniel Moi.

Here, rivalry and intrigues between communities have been part of the game since the advent of multi-party politics in 1992. Nakuru has the unflattering honour of being the epicentre of election-related violence since 1992.

Predominantly inhabited by the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin, other tribes that have significant presence in the county are the Luhya, Kisii and Luo. Thus Nakuru, especially the town, attracts plenty of attention during election cycles.

In the 2013 General Election, President Uhuru Kenyatta garnered 476,609 votes against 99,698 by CORD’s Raila Odinga. Of the 11 constituencies in the county, ODM won one constituency (Nakuru Town West) while Kanu secured two (Rongai and Kuresoi North). The rest  of the parliamentary seats were taken by Jubilee.

The back door

Although Nakuru remained relatively peaceful in the run-up and after the 2013 General Election, residents now fear that growing political intolerance in the county may lead to violence in the next polls.

An attempt by a group of youths led by local leaders to storm a meeting between CORD leader Raila Odinga and his supporters at a hotel in the outskirts of the town evoked memories of the dark past when jingoism was synonymous with the region.

During the incident on June 11, police had to forcefully disperse a group of rowdy youths that had surrounded Donnie’s Hotel at Olive Inn, Kiamunyi, where the former Prime Minister was meeting opinion leaders from minority communities.

Raila had to exit the hotel through the back door as he made his way to a rally at Kaptembwo. Undaunted, the youth, now led by Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, made their way to the rally to find Raila had just left.

The opposition accused Governor Mbugua, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri, his Nakuru Town East counterpart David Gikaria, and a host of Members of the County Assembly of inciting the youths against the opposition leader. It is at the Kaptembwo rally that Ngunjiri made comments that led to his arrest and arraignment in court to answer to charges of hate speech.

“What happened to Raila has no place in modern Kenya. Raila has every right to hold a meeting anywhere in the country,” Koigi Wamwere, a former Subukia MP, told The Standard on Sunday.

Wamwere said the incident may be a warning sign of rising ethnic tensions ahead of what may be one of the most polarising General Elections.

The business community is worried about the heated political climate  in a county that bore much of the brunt of the post-poll in 2007 and 2008.

Loss of life

The local chapter of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has warned that continued intolerance will stall economic growth and investment in the town.

“It will lead to loss of life and property if not checked. The leaders need to tone down on hate speech as we approach the elections,” said Stephen Thuo, the NCCI chairman.

Nakuru is the commercial hub of the Rift Valley and maintaining peace here should be the government’s top priority, says Thuo.

“Any disturbance in the cosmopolitan county will directly undermine Kenya’s economy,” he says.

Most victims of the 2007-08 post-election violence, which led to the death of more than 1,000 people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands, resettled in Nakuru county.

“I left the North Rift where I lost everything to the violence to settle in Nakuru,” said businessman David Kiare. “I have picked up the pieces and I don’t want to find myself in a similar situation. Leaders must exercise restraint and tolerance.”

Investors now want the government to engage all stakeholders and impress upon them on the need to tone down political rhetoric.

“We need to look at Nakuru differently because of its cosmopolitan nature. There is a reason why Governor Mbugua does not want street protests in the county, but he should come out clearly to explain that to fellow politicians,” Kitilit said.

 Governor Mbugua says his administration would oppose all opposition-led demonstrations in the town.

“Of concern to us is that ODM has described Nakuru as the theatre of violence. The epicentre of violence planning. To that we must respond. Nakuru has suffered due to political competition but we have resolved to make peace with ourselves,” said the governor.

But ODM County Chairman Sospeter Nyakundi scoffed at these claims.

“Raila’s meeting was peaceful until that group of youths attempted to storm Donnie’s hotel,” Nyakundi says.

Nyakundi accused the governor of organising anti-Raila protests instead of reassuring people that   peace would be maintained.

“The governor rushed to exhibit the same political intolerance that the rowdy opposition youths were being condemned for, making him exactly like them,” said Nyakundi.