By Stephen N. KINUTHIA “Wamother”
Nairobi – 29/January/2026
For more than three decades, Kenya has lived with a contradiction that the
international community too often overlooks. The country is celebrated as a
regional anchor of stability, a hub of innovation, and a democratic success story.
Yet beneath this polished narrative lies a troubling and recurring pattern: in
moments of political tension, the same communities particularly those of the
Mount Kenya region become targets of orchestrated violence, intimidation, and
political scapegoating.
This is not a matter of perception. It is a matter of historical record. And as Kenya
edges toward another electoral cycle, the warning signs are once again
unmistakable.
Recent attacks on churches in Othaya in the Mount Kenya region, coupled with a
renewed wave of political rhetoric portraying the area as a “problem,” an “obstacle,”
or a constituency to be disciplined, have reopened old wounds. A nation that has
endured the traumas of 1992, 1997, 2007–2008, and 2013 cannot afford to dismiss
these signals as isolated incidents.
In 2024, during the Finance Bill protests, young Kenyans, the Gen Z citizens
exercising their constitutional right to dissent were killed by live bullets in the
streets of Nairobi and other towns. Others died in police custody. Some
disappeared, others were maimed, and many were falsely accused of terrorism
related offences. A government turning its weapons on its own youth is a profound
moral and constitutional failure. And even as the country continues to process that
trauma, state-aligned groups (militias and goons), operating under police
protection, have begun attacking civilians in funerals and churches lobbing tear
gas, firing live ammunition, and sowing fear with calculated precision. The
intention is transparent: to intimidate, to suppress, and to engineer voter apathy
in the vote-rich Mount Kenya region ahead of the 2027 elections.
This is not an ethnic argument. It is a civic one. It is a call for justice,
accountability, and the uncompromising protection of Constitutional Rights for all
Kenyans. A democratic state cannot selectively apply the rule of law, nor can it
weaponize fear against its own citizens. Kenya deserves better its people demand
better and history will judge how the nation responds to these warning signs.
A History of Targeted Vulnerability
1992: The First Multiparty Elections : The reintroduction of multiparty politics
brought hope and violence. In the Rift Valley and Coast regions, communities
perceived as opposition supporters were attacked and displaced. The Agîkûyû,
Embu, and Meru communities bore the brunt of this violence. State-linked militias
(YK92), land grievances, and political manipulation created a climate of fear. No
one was held accountable.
1997: Likoni and the Rift Valley: Five years later, the pattern repeated. The
Likoni attacks and clashes in Burnt Forest and Nairobi followed the same script:
political competition framed as ethnic hostility. Once again, the victims rebuilt their
lives without justice.
2007–2008: The Darkest Chapter: The post-election violence remains the most
devastating episode in Kenya’s modern history. More than 1,000 Kenyans were
killed. Hundreds of thousands were displaced. Women and children were burned
alive in Kiambaa Church. The Waki Commission documented the systematic
targeting of communities, yet the justice process collapsed. The message was
unmistakable: violence could be used as a political tool without consequence.
2013: The Politics of Exclusion: Although less deadly, the 2013 cycle revived
narratives of exclusion, particularly at the Coast. The slogan “Pwani sio Kenya”
captured a dangerous sentiment that some communities could be politically
punished for their perceived voting patterns.
Across all these episodes, one fact stands out with unsettling clarity: not a single
senior political figure has ever been convicted for orchestrating, financing, or
enabling electoral violence in Kenya. Impunity has become a political currency
one that continues to endanger citizens and erode democratic norms.
Why Mount Kenya Remains a Political Target
- Electoral Significance: Mount Kenya commands one of the largest and most
consistent voting blocs in the country. Any political actor seeking national power
must either secure the region’s support or strategically neutralize its influence.
This makes the community a perennial target for manipulation, intimidation, and
disinformation. - Economic Visibility: The region’s economic dynamism from agriculture and
dairy to enterprise and trade has long been weaponized to stoke resentment.
Instead of celebrating productivity and contribution to national GDP, some political
actors exploit economic success to mobilise hostility and create narratives of
“privilege” or “entitlement.” - National Diaspora Presence: Agîkûyû communities live, work, and invest in
every county. This national footprint born of entrepreneurship, mobility, and
historical displacement becomes a vulnerability during periods of political tension.
What should be a symbol of national integration is instead turned into a pretext
for targeted attacks. - Historical Narratives of “Dominance” : For decades, political rhetoric has
framed the community as “too powerful,” “too influential,” or
“overrepresented.” These narratives are not only misleading they are dangerous.
They create a moral justification for hostility and provide political actors with a
convenient scapegoat during moments of national anxiety. - Fragmented Leadership: A divided region is easier to isolate and manipulate.
When leaders speak with conflicting voices, the community becomes politically
exposed, making it vulnerable to external narratives and coordinated campaigns of
fear.
2026: The Early Warning Signs
Recent attacks on churches in the Mount Kenya region regardless of who is
responsible have triggered deep historical memories. Communities recognise the
pattern because they have lived through it before:
First comes incitement
Then symbolic attacks
Then fear and displacement
Then open violence
Kenya has witnessed this cycle too many times to pretend these signals are benign.
A responsible nation does not wait for violence to erupt before acting. It intervenes
early, decisively, and transparently.
The Real Crisis: Impunity
The greatest threat to Kenya’s stability is not ethnicity. It is impunity.
Across all episodes of electoral violence:
No senior political figure has been prosecuted
No militia financiers have been held accountable
No reparations have been paid
No land injustices have been resolved
No national healing process has been completed
A country that refuses to confront its past is condemned to repeat it.
A Leader’s Responsibility: Speaking Truth Without Fear…
As a political leader who stood with the Ocampo Six at the ICC in the Hague, I
speak not only from historical memory but from a commitment to national unity.
Kenya cannot build a stable future by ignoring the vulnerabilities of one region or
the suffering of one community. The call from Mount Kenya today is not a call to
retreat into ethnic trenches. It is a call to uphold the Constitution, protect the
dignity of every citizen, and ensure that no Kenyan is ever targeted again because
of their identity or political choices.
This is not a Voice for one community. It is a Voice for the Republic.
A Technocratic Path Forward
Breaking this cycle demands more than outrage. It requires structural,
institutional reform: - National Early Warning System for Electoral Violence: Kenya needs
predictive analytics, community-based intelligence, and rapid-response units
capable of detecting and neutralizing threats before they escalate. - Special Prosecutor for Electoral Violence : Impunity persists because
accountability is diffused. A dedicated, independent prosecutor would ensure that
political responsibility is traceable and enforceable. - Protection of Internal Migrants: Kenyans living outside their ancestral
counties must be guaranteed safety during elections. This is a constitutional duty
not a discretionary gesture. - Civic Education Against Manipulation: Communities must be equipped to
identify and reject incitement, hate speech, and political exploitation. - National Memory Project : Kenya must document its history of electoral
violence honestly and publicly. Healing, reform, and prevention begin with truth
A Community-Rooted Stand
Mount Kenya’s message – “We shall not be silenced”, is not a threat. It is a
declaration of dignity. It is a reminder that every Kenyan, regardless of region or
ethnicity, deserves safety, respect, and equal political participation.
The time has come for the country to break this cycle. Not through Anger, but
through Truth. Not through Fear, but through Justice. Not through Division, but
through a renewed commitment to the Nation we all share.
Kenya must choose a future where no community is ever again used as a political
target. That choice begins now !.
