KANYADUDI: Kikuyu leaders should end ethnic attacks on Luo politicians

The media has reported rising tensions between some Kikuyu and Luo political leaders over recent government appointments.

Last weekend, Maragua MP Mary Wamaua, speaking at a public function alongside Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, expressed opposition to the appointment of John Mbadi as Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning and Opiyo Wandayi to the Energy docket.

She argued that the finance portfolio is crucial to the national economy and suggested it should not have gone to a Luo leader.

These appointments, alongside those of Hassan Joho (Mining) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs), have been cited as evidence of ODM leader Raila Odinga’s influence in government.

Some leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, including Wamaua and Wamuchomba, have claimed that the Kikuyu community has been sidelined and called for political action.

Meanwhile, a prominent social media commentator blamed a PS, claiming in a social media post that the PS was responsible for portraying the Kikuyu community in a negative light online.

The commentator alleged that counter-narratives to anti-government protests were state-sponsored.

Historically, political relations between the Kikuyu and Luo communities have been marked by both cooperation and conflict.

After independence in 1963, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first vice president, left government following disagreements with President Jomo Kenyatta.

Subsequent years saw the banning of the Kenya People’s Union (KPU), the detention of its leaders without trial, and tragic events including the assassinations of Tom Mboya and Argwings Kodhek.

In 2002, the two communities briefly aligned again when Raila’s support helped propel Mwai Kibaki to the presidency.

However, the coalition between Kibaki’s camp and Raila’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) collapsed in 2005 after the constitutional referendum. The period also saw the assassination of constitutional review chair Prof Odhiambo Mbai and the death of Kasipul Kabondo MP Peter Owidi under unresolved circumstances.

Following these events, Luo leaders largely avoided alliances with Kikuyu elites. This trend shifted in 2022 when outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta endorsed Raila’s presidential bid. Despite government backing, Raila lost to Ruto, who secured strong support from the Kikuyu region.

Since then, divisions within Kenya Kwanza have emerged. Gachagua’s impeachment highlighted internal rifts. His allies have claimed that the Kikuyu interests have been betrayed, particularly after the appointment of Luo leaders to key Cabinet positions.

Some political observers suggest this narrative risks inflaming ethnic tensions.

While President William Ruto has emphasised building an inclusive government, his efforts face resistance from sections of the Kikuyu political elite.

Analysts warn that public statements and political maneuvers could deepen divisions between the Kikuyu and Luo communities, potentially undermining national unity.