Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has slammed Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua over remarks that the country risks a repeat of the 2007 bloodshed.
In a statement on Saturday May 18, Kindiki said the country learnt hard lessons in the 2007/2008 post-election violence and will never return to a similar situation.
The Deputy President said politicians should focus on offering transformative ideas, rather than spreading fear, promoting divisive rhetoric, or acting out of personal vendettas.
“Kenya will never return to political violence, not in 2027, not at any other time in the future. Our country learnt hard and painful lessons from the 2007/2008 post-election violence. Never again.
“Henceforth, Kenya’s leadership contests will revolve around who has better ideas to transform the country. The debate cannot be about the fear-mongering of desperate, vengeful, thoughtless, and pretentious leaders,” said Kindiki.
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Gachagua while speaking during an interview with Obinna Live TV on Friday May 16, warned that attempts to rig the 2027 election results and subvert the will of the people could lead to unprecedented election violence worse than in 2007/2008.
“The mood in the country if IEBC tries to mess with the election, there will be no country here. 2007 will look like a Christmas party. I can tell you. I want to implore those commissioners to be patriotic and not to attempt to impose William Ruto on Kenyans, it will not work," Gachagua said.
The former DP’s remarks irked several leaders, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who said Gachagua’s remarks are enough to bar him from holding any public office.
"Those remarks alone are enough to bar that person from holding any public office. Forget about impeachment, because many people lost their loved ones in the 2007/2008 and some have never recovered, and somebody is promising that violence will escalate in the next elections,” Murkomen stated.
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi accused the former deputy president of beating the drums of war by suggesting that the 2007 violence might recur in 2027 and even be worse.
He asked him to use all the means to seek Kenyans' support, but keep off the emotive topic of the 2007/08 post-election skirmishes.
"Don't talk about 2007/08, it seems you don't know what you are saying. Our people died and suffered very seriously. Use all the means to look for votes and abuse the president, abuse all of us, but keep off the 2007/08 issue. You are becoming too reckless, showing you are not a leader. Guard your tongue. It is we leaders inciting and misleading Kenyans," Sudi said.
In the 2007/2008 post-election violence, 1,500 people were killed and over 600,000 others displaced.
