In 1997, I active­ly par­tic­i­pat­ed in the cam­paign of a close friend run­ning for Mem­ber of Par­lia­ment in the Tin­deret con­stituen­cy. At the peak of the cam­paign, we were ambushed by a mob that pelt­ed us with stones, struck us with blows, and hurled insults. Our can­di­date suf­fered seri­ous injuries, and we scram­bled for safe­ty. That vio­lent episode left a last­ing impact, with reper­cus­sions that still res­onate more than twen­ty-sev­en years lat­er. Vio­lence has pro­found and endur­ing con­se­quences, extend­ing beyond both time and geog­ra­phy. This is pre­cise­ly why the recent vio­lence in Limu­ru must be addressed with the grav­i­ty it demands.

On Thurs­day, the solemn sanc­ti­ty of a bur­ial cer­e­mo­ny in Kiambu Coun­ty was shat­tered when chaos erupt­ed. For­mer Deputy Pres­i­dent Rigathi Gach­agua was forced to flee from irate hired goons, turn­ing a moment of com­mu­nal mourn­ing into a scene of vio­lence. Mourn­ers sus­tained injuries and vehi­cles were van­dal­ized. Pol­i­tics aside, pause for a moment to envi­sion this — a gath­er­ing ini­tial­ly unit­ed in grief and reflec­tion, now dis­rupt­ed by fear and tur­moil, where tears of sor­row abrupt­ly turned into tears of dis­tress.

This inci­dent, shock­ing as it was, offers an oppor­tu­ni­ty for all Kenyans to reflect on the val­ues of civil­i­ty, respect, and the respon­si­bil­i­ty of lead­er­ship in main­tain­ing nation­al cohesion.

As stew­ards of pub­lic trust, polit­i­cal lead­ers must rise above per­son­al rival­ries and work to fos­ter mutu­al respect. Pub­lic spaces, whether bur­ial cer­e­monies, ral­lies, or offi­cial func­tions, should remain plat­forms for uni­ty and con­struc­tive dis­course, not divi­sion and incitement.

Kenya is grap­pling with sig­nif­i­cant eco­nom­ic chal­lenges, and the frus­tra­tions of ordi­nary cit­i­zens are pal­pa­ble. Acts of provo­ca­tion, incite­ment, or vio­lence by lead­ers or their sup­port­ers risk inflam­ing these frus­tra­tions further.

In the absence of prop­er con­flict res­o­lu­tion and respon­si­ble lead­er­ship, such ten­sions could spi­ral into uncon­trolled sit­u­a­tions, threat­en­ing nation­al peace. This should serve as a warn­ing to lead­ers: Kenyans demand solu­tions to their chal­lenges, not actions that exac­er­bate their struggles.

Nation­al uni­ty and sta­bil­i­ty are para­mount, espe­cial­ly as the coun­try nav­i­gates tough eco­nom­ic times. Inci­dents like the one in Limu­ru serve as stark reminders of the need for dia­logue and col­lab­o­ra­tion across polit­i­cal divides. Sta­bil­i­ty is a pre­req­ui­site for address­ing the press­ing issues affect­ing Kenyans, includ­ing unem­ploy­ment, infla­tion, and pover­ty. All these issues can only be addressed in a cli­mate of peace. 

Lead­ers must pri­or­i­tize uni­ty over divi­sive­ness, ensur­ing that polit­i­cal activ­i­ties do not detract from the broad­er goal of nation­al peace and progress. When cit­i­zens see lead­ers work­ing togeth­er, it inspires hope and moti­vates col­lec­tive efforts toward build­ing a stronger Kenya.

At the heart of the unrest is the eco­nom­ic hard­ship faced by the major­i­ty of Kenyans. Accord­ing to the Fed­er­a­tion of Kenya Employ­ers, the unem­ploy­ment rate for youth aged between 15and 34 years old is a stag­ger­ing 67%. Politi­cians must desist from exploit­ing their des­per­a­tion and instead focus on cre­at­ing eco­nom­ic oppor­tu­ni­ties for them. That’s one of the main ways of secur­ing and guar­an­tee­ing peace in Kenya. 

Vio­lence and dis­or­der in any form must be reject­ed, not only by lead­ers but by all Kenyans. It is the col­lec­tive respon­si­bil­i­ty of cit­i­zens to hold lead­ers account­able while uphold­ing peace and order. Com­mu­ni­ties must take a stand against such dis­rup­tions, ensur­ing that no indi­vid­ual or group under­mines the well-being of the nation.

Despite these chal­lenges, Kenya’s resilience and poten­tial are unde­ni­able. Moments like these not only test us but also offer oppor­tu­ni­ties for reflec­tion and renew­al. This inci­dent in Limu­ru must act as a wake-up call for every­one — lead­ers and cit­i­zens alike — under­scor­ing that our shared future hinges on mutu­al respect, civil­i­ty, and col­lab­o­ra­tion. Togeth­er, we can trans­form chal­lenges into strength, paving the way for a more unit­ed and pros­per­ous Kenya for gen­er­a­tions to come.

An African proverbs states, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go togeth­er.’ Uni­ty is the way to go. Besides,the style of pol­i­tics from 27 years ago is out­dat­ed. ‘Kenya wajin­ga wali­isha’. Think Green, act green!