Jubilee leaders should stop 'divide and rule' tactics

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto are dividing Kenyans on political party affiliations.

It’s unbelievable for the President to be captured on camera telling Mombasa residents that they did not vote for Jubilee. This is not the time to tell who voted for Jubilee or not.

Last year, Uhuru and Ruto were in Western and all local leaders were invited to their functions except for senators Boniy Khalwale and Moses Wetang’ula.

The President and his deputy have all rights to visit any part of Kenya as they always do. But they should leave people united after such visits.

Uhuru and his team went to Mombasa County without even informing Governor Hassan Ali Joho to receive him as he always does with other governors whenever he visits their counties. This was not a good show. Instead of leaving Mombasa residents united, they left them divided with two different groups demonstrating.

On the other hand, Ruto invited some Opposition elected leaders, among them Kisiis and Luhyas, to his Sugoi home in Rift Valley. If this is not “divide and rule” what is it then?

If for sure Ruto had a good motive for the people from Kisii, Western and other regions who went to his home other than political poaching, why didn’t he go to the respective regions for a political rally and address all the people?

The President should rein in his troops to avoid ugly verbal exchanges.

{A Gati, Nairobi}

Opposition leaders in Western are in panic mode following our Ruto’s continued hosting of leaders from the region and other places.

Some party functionaries have even threatened to suspend the offending leaders from the parties that sponsored them.

Senator Omar Hassan of Mombasa went a notch higher by saying that such leaders who were falling in love with Jubilee were committing political suicide.

I think every leader has a constitutional right to decide his own destiny before 2017. Let the Opposition not take us back to the days of declaring some regions as their strongholds. The Constitution has laid the ground bare for anybody to chose where he feels like politically.

{Erick Agade, Malaba}

Kenya’s quest to defeat terrorism and end corruption inched closer when US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis visited the country last year.

After wake-up calls from Obama and Pope Francis, we expected the Government to seize the opportunity to take immediate and firm action. However, nothing has been done to date.

The Pope’s speech, which was meant to awaken the President and his deputy to rethink strategies of ending corruption, has not had full attention yet.

“Corruption is something that eats you inside like sugar. It is sweet, we like it. It is easy. And then we end up being sick and poor. So much sugar that we end up being diabetic or our own country ends up being diabetic,” said Pope.

This was a very powerful message that required deep thought on how fast to take action against the evil. The President should ensure corruption is dealt a blow.

{William Anunda, Nyamira}

When insecurity in Kenya tops the list of issues of concern, I am very worried. When a country is not safe and people live in fear, economic development will suffer.

Cases of business people robbed and even shot have far-reaching repercussions. Security agencies need to take charge.

{S Wanjohi, Nyeri}