Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has condemned remarks attributed to nominated lawmaker Joseph Wainaina Iraya, who allegedly told members of a Rift Valley community opposed to President William Ruto’s re-election bid to leave the region.
Owalo, who will contest for the president seat on People’s Prosperity Party (PPP), said the remarks, contained in a video circulating on social media, risked inflaming ethnic tensions ahead of the 2027 general election.
He linked the comments to the violence that followed the disputed 2007 presidential election, when more than 1,100 people were killed and more than 600,000 displaced.
“We must, therefore, never allow a similar experience to occur again, at all costs,” Owalo said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
He argued that the remarks were contrary to the Constitution, which protects citizens’ political rights and freedom of movement and residence.
Article 38 guarantees citizens the right to make political choices and participate in elections, while Article 39 provides for the right to enter, remain in and reside anywhere in Kenya.
Owalo also cited Chapter Six of the Constitution, which sets out ethical standards for public officers and requires leaders to uphold public trust and promote public confidence.
He called on political leaders to avoid using ethnicity to mobilise support as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 election.
“Leaders must be deterred from spewing utterances that are likely to turn political competition into an ethnic contest,” he said.
Owalo urged the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to investigate and take action where appropriate.
He also called for the law to be applied equally to politicians on both sides of the political divide.
“The law must be applied equally and indiscriminately to leaders allied to the opposition … as well as those supporting President Ruto’s re-election,” he said.
The Rift Valley was one of the areas worst affected by the violence that followed the 2007 election, making ethnic and political rhetoric in the region particularly sensitive.
Owalo said Kenyans should be free to support candidates of their choice without intimidation or coercion.
Iraya’s response to the statement was not included in Owalo’s remarks.
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