I wish to express myself following utterances by Emurua Dikirr Member of Parliament Honorable Johanna Ng’eno and his Kapseret counterpart Honorable Oscar Sudi aimed at the person and family of his Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Leaders of the caliber of legislators as the duo must never forget that by virtue of their high office, they have a noble calling to be role models and such uncouth remarks directly undermine the integrity of the people they represent.
Those remarks were not only reckless and irresponsible but also an attempt to spur ethnic animosity and hostile political rivalry that has no place in present-day Kenya.
At an epoch like ours, it is not only sad but the height of disrespect for leaders to hide on their political differences or perceived cold relations between leaders to attack the Head of State and his mother – the founding Mother of the Nation, whose regard and reverence is paramount and beyond reproach.
It is irresponsible of the two youthful leaders to make remarks which reverberate of war tunes at a time when the country is yearning for harmony amid heightening political temperatures in the build-up to the 2022 General Elections.
Leaders have the obligation to preach unity for Kenya and their duty to rally Kenyans for one another is a sacred one, which they must abide by at all times and for Hon Ngeno and Hon Sudi to forget the bad times we have had as a country before, because of politics, is unwelcome conduct by leaders.
Politics has led us to war in 1992, 1997 and 2007; nobody should try to take this country to war again because of politics and it is incumbent upon all national leaders and their supporters to refrain from stalking war on the altar of political differences.
We must not abandon the unity pledge and clarion call by His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta and His Excellency, the Right Honorable Raila Amollo Odinga, to all of us as Kenyans to work together for the unity of beloved motherland. The two leaders have chosen to lead the nation to a healing process following the Handshake which birthed the Building Bridges Initiative.
While the courts of law will apply the Constitution and other legislative provisions to bring Hon Ngeno and Hon Sudi to justice over their remarks, I urge the two leaders to search their souls and accept the self-conviction that should lead them to apologize to Kenyans for their recklessness and callousness manifested by the remarks they made.
Should they fail to humble themselves before the law and, most importantly, the Kenyan people who they have offended through their utterances, then history will forever be harsh on them for trying to scuttle the quest for Kenyans’ peaceful, tranquil coexistence.
Fellow Kenyans, let us all not imagine that belonging to one political divide is reason enough to hate a fellow citizen who prefers to be in a different camp.
Elections come and go but our beloved nation remains the same, let us embrace the patriotic duty to protect the diverse mosaic that paints our motherland.
