Renowned political scientist Nyachieo Bogonko believes the recent assassination of Nairobi business mogul cum political activist Jacob Juma will set a bad precedence in the country by inciting residents against the rule of law.
Mr Juma was killed by unknown assailants in Nairobi on Thursday causing furious reactions from a section of Kenyans.
But Nyachieo has warned the nation against assassination deaths saying they were likely to cause tension ahead of 2017.
“Long gone are those days of political assassination. They set a bad precedence in our contemporary political set up and everyone knows that,” he said.
“We are heading into a crucial election and when vocal people who critique the government of the day is killed in controversial circumstances it make it a bit difficult for the security of this nation. We must condemn such mysterious deaths for the sake of our security,” he added.
He also challenged the state to give security to people who raise concerns about their safety since it’s a constitutional obligation of any government.
“For instance, Juma posted content about his fears of a possible assassination. The state should have taken such information seriously and guaranteed him security to absolve itself from blame,” he added.
Bogonko also noted that political assassinations portray the country negatively in front of international community saying it was likely to sabotage fruits of democracy.
“This is a democratic country where divergent opinions should be accommodated," said Bogonko.
"It is not right when a country that practices democracy tolerates incidents such as the death of Juma. We want to see serious deliberations as a result,” he said.