Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has issued a strong appeal for political tolerance, urging Kenyans to separate politics from social and communal events, warning that rising hostility is tearing communities apart.
Speaking in an emotionally charged address, Kinyanjui questioned why political differences have been allowed to divide people even during moments that should bring unity, such as funerals and community gatherings.
“Why are we dividing our people because of politics? Let us separate politics and social events,” he said. “I would like a situation where even if we are not agreeing politically, we must stand together when a calamity occurs.”
The CS lamented that political intolerance has reached dangerous levels, with leaders and mourners being heckled even in moments of grief.
“How can we call for unity when we come to mourn with you and ridicule us?” he asked.
Kinyanjui cited the recent attack on former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s farm as an example of how political hatred is being turned against fellow citizens.
“When Uhuru’s farm was attacked, it was attacked by our own people, not people from Nyanza,” he said. “That hatred is spreading even in burials. We are going to social events armed as if we are going for war.”
He warned that the growing culture of political insults and hostility is hurting not just individuals but the country’s reputation.
“We have become a laughing stock. When we meet it’s all about insults. You think you are gaining but you are discrediting all our leaders,” Kinyanjui said.
Addressing calls for regional political dominance often expressed through slogans such as “wantam”, the Cabinet Secretary cautioned that elections are national, not ethnic or regional.
“I want to request those saying wantam is their right, but we must remember votes will not be cast in vernacular stations but across the country,” he said.
Kinyanjui emphasized that political disagreement is normal in a democracy, but it should not destroy social cohesion.
“Politics is not a must we agree,” he said.
He also defended the decision by some leaders to join the government, arguing that their goal was to help fix past problems.
“One thing we agreed when we joined government is that we must rectify the mess that happened when you people were there,” he added.
The Cabinet Secretary called on Kenyans and political leaders to tone down hostility and restore dignity, unity and respect in public life, warning that continued political intolerance threatens the country’s social fabric.
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