Elected Leaders, Aspirants Summoned By Thika DCC Over Violent Confrontations.
Thika West DCC addressing a press briefing at his offices. Accompanying him are members of his security team who include Thika OCPD Erastus Muthamia (in glasses). |
All political leaders from Thika West Sub-County have been
summoned to a security meeting in connection with the Sunday violence that has
claimed 2 lives and several people mugged and attacked by violent youth.
Thika West DCC Tom Anjere said that he had personally
invited all elected leaders and aspirants for all the various elective post for
a meeting on Monday the 14th of November to deliberate on how best
they would administer their campaigns in an environment of peace.
“As the district security team, we have summoned all those candidates
who intend to vie for any of the elective positions for a security meeting on
Monday next week. We want to discuss how they are expected to conduct their
campaigns when that time come as you quite well know, official campaign time has
not yet been announced. But our greatest intent is to ensure that peace
prevails at all time,” said Anjere.
He warned that his office would not entertain any candidate
who conducted their campaigns after the stipulated hours nor any one of them
who used hired goons to cause chaos or disrupt their opponents’ political gatherings.
He assured that investigations to unearth what caused the
death of John Njuguna Mwangi, a teacher at Thika Barracks Primary School, were
underway and they would ensure that those responsible were brought to book. Otherwise,
he decline to confirm or deny that the violence that erupted on Sunday evening
were politically instigated, saying that the police were digging up leads to unwrap
who the real perpetrators were and what their motives was.
Last Sunday, two people are suspected to have died after
goons started mugging residents who were heading home from a live concert
organised at the Thika Stadium to launch a musical album by Muigai Wa Njoroge. Several
political bigwigs who included Governors William Kabogo (Kiambu) and Mwangi Wa
Iria (Murang’a) were in attendance.
Last month, there were several incidents of supporters of
rival parliamentary aspirants clashing. The mood in Thika Town Constituency has
been tense ever since the launch of Jubilee Party in September where goons have
been seen disrupting meetings and functions organised by those who were seen to
be from a different political inclination. Social media platforms have also
been very volatile with opposing sides hurling insults at each other and
threatening their opponents of dire consequences for opposing their preferred candidates.
This situation if not checked will erupt into full blown
violence when the campaigns will be officially announced. The authorities must
be alert so as to anticipate election-related
violence well in advance and employ conflict prevention programmes put to mitigate
any violent occurrence and stem its escalation.
The DCC and his security team ought to trigger some dialogue amongst electoral stakeholders in
order to create an agreement on the rules of the game and also the build-up the
commitment and relationships. He should set up community forums, teach-ins and
panels, to educate the public, as well as encourage them to air out differing
opinions and to force politicians to go on the record with their beliefs.
Violence triggered by the rivalry between the contestants
can be controlled by ensuring that all candidates adhered to the political parties’
code of conduct with strong sanctions penalising electoral violence. There is
also need to have an intensive voter/civic education programmes concerned with
election campaigns and polling, and also special programmes/activities aimed at
preparing candidates for election loss.
Members of the community policing, Nyumba Kumi leaders and the
citizens themselves have a great role to play in preventing any form of
violence and should have a more prominent role in strategies and programmes
aimed at the prevention of electoral violence.
Lastly, the security team should make it the norm to work with the media through regular press
releases and support independent media that is willing to provide critical
information and alternative viewpoints not as easily available in big
mainstream outlets.
Otherwise, as the
residents of Thika Town Constituency and Kiambu County as a whole, we say no to
political violence and hooliganism.
No comments: