By Ben Okweingoti.
Leaders allied to the government have accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of fuelling tribal divisions as the country edges closer to the next general election.
The leaders, led by Francis Atwoli and Farouk Kibet, made the remarks during the burial of Dorothy Baya Mweri, mother to Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, held at Dabaso village in Kilifi County.
Atwoli criticized the former Head of State, accusing him of making remarks that could heighten ethnic tensions. He argued that Kenyatta’s statements were not only divisive but also unhelpful to the opposition’s efforts to organize itself ahead of the elections.
“There is no formidable opposition in the country at the moment. The former President should refrain from inciting Kenyans along tribal lines and instead retire peacefully,” Atwoli said.
He further claimed that Kenyatta had failed to consolidate political support during his tenure, asserting that he neither secured victory for Raila Odinga nor strengthened the opposition’s current standing.
On his part, Kibet warned against the resurgence of tribal politics, urging religious institutions to remain neutral spaces and to deny platforms to leaders accused of promoting ethnic divisions.
“We call on the clergy not to allow politicians to export divisive politics into places of worship. No leader, especially a former president, should incite communities,” he said.
The burial ceremony was attended by several senior leaders, including Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, and Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs, among other leaders.
Their remarks come amid rising political temperatures, with leaders increasingly trading accusations as the country begins to shape its electoral landscape.
