The recent attacks on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga,  Azimio la Umoja’s Presidential candidate, in Soy constituency speaks volumes on the history and trajectory of Kenya’s coming elections if stern steps are not taken. On 1^st April 2022, Odinga’s entourage was attacked when he went to Soy to attend the burial of the late Jackson Kibor at Samitui farm.

Hired hoodlums, Prof. Makua Mutua, spokesperson for Odinga’s Presidential Secretariat observes was akin to an attempt on his life. Soon after this sacrilege, Deputy President William Ruto––––whose allies, Uasin Gishu county governor Jackson Mandago and Soy MP, Caleb Kostany were accused of being behind this criminality­­­­––––apologized to Odinga!

Why has this happened at a time when Kenya is crying for peace? Why have the criminals and their bankrollers forgotten that Kenya needs peace as it braces itself for the coming general elections? Who are behind this carnage? What do they intend to achieve?

Those who remember how the 2007/8 Post-Election Violence pushed Kenya to the precipice of apocalypse will concur with me. The Soy incident is a wakeup call for yet another big shocker. Something ominous is in the making. Even the PEV was executed long before it happened save that Kenyans didn’t read the signs of the time.

The fans of Ruto, the staunch opponent of the handshake and those of Odinga, the party to the handshake, must be well guided and tamed. The politics of chaos, toxic ethnopolitics and the greed for power that some of competitors have displayed must attract stern actions from Kenyans, Kenya’s neighbors and the world.

Have Kenyans and the world easily forgotten the conundrum, imbroglio, and sufferings PEV occasioned to many innocuous Kenyans, who, as of now, are still languishing and suffering in the IDP camps? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Kenya is more important than egoïstic politicians and their avaricious and blinkered missions. Prevention is better and more important than cure.

Kenyan authorities must thwart all those behind the carnage before the bigger danger occurs. Educate people about the dangers toxic ethnicity poses. Educate them about the role they can play either in assuaging or exacerbating the dangers. The authorities need to keep tabs on all who are now preaching hatred, made-up victimhood and mendacities.           

What dreadfully transpired in Soy recently must act as a wake-up call that needs to be examine critically based on the history of the PEV before it sinks Kenya to the precipice. It is time for Kenyans to have conversations about answerability and amity. It is time for them to doubt and interrogate every narrative that power seekers are giving them. Instead of banking on cynicism and parochialism that revolve around toxic ethnicity and toxic politics, Kenyans need to start revisiting all causes of the past PEV before it revisits them harshly and unpreparedly once again. He/she who’s eyes must see and with ears must hark. Let’s say solidly together as we beat swords into ploughshares. Nunca mais. Never. Never again.

By Nkwazi Mhango

The author is a lifetime member of the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL), an expert in Terrorism and author of over 20 books among which are Africa Reunite or Perish, 'Is It Global War on Terrorism' or Global War over Terra Africana? How Africa Developed Europe and contributed many chapters in scholarly works on many issues.