A growing political storm is brewing in Kenya after a group of respected elders from the Sabaot community demanded a formal investigation into remarks made by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The elders accused Gachagua of inciting ethnic tensions through divisive rhetoric, warning that his utterances threaten to unravel years of progress in fostering national unity.
Speaking in Kitle, the elders sharply criticized Gachagua for allegedly exploiting tribal sentiments as a political strategy to revive his influence ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to Reverend Peter Chemaswet, a senior cleric and community leader, Gachagua’s approach is not only politically opportunistic but also dangerously inflammatory. “He must be stopped.
His brand of ethnic politics is sowing seeds of discord at a time when Kenya needs unity and development,” Chemaswet said.
The elders painted a grim picture of what might follow if such ethnic incitement continues unchecked.
Makusta Kiboi, a prominent elder, lamented that Kenya had made crucial gains in steering politics away from tribal affiliations toward national development agendas.
“We cannot afford to slide back into politics of tribal division. It is backward, dangerous, and fundamentally irresponsible,” he stated.
In a broader warning, the elders also condemned opposition narratives pushing for a “one-term presidency” against President William Ruto, calling it a masked strategy aimed at destabilizing governance and undermining the administration.
Willy Kapkara warned that such slogans, though disguised as democratic opinions, pose a threat to national security.
“These are not just political statements—they are loaded with intent to sabotage leadership and stir chaos,” he asserted.
Stephen Cheses Temoi, another elder, made it clear that their community would not fall for political manipulation.
“We must resist these incitements. The so-called one-term slogan is coded language meant to provoke unrest. We refuse to be pawns in this game,” he said.
The elders urged all Kenyan communities to uphold peace and remain vigilant against any attempts to drag the country back into ethnic hostilities.
Their message was simple but powerful: Kenya’s future must be built on unity, not tribal rivalry.
By Newshub