A running woman looks at burning structures during the 2007 post-election violence. [Photo/ IRIN News]
When President Uhuru Kenyatta presented his papers to IEBC on Monday for clearance, some Jubilee supporters clashed with Raila Odinga’s NASA fanatics outside KICC in an incident that should worry every Kenyan. Kenyans went through a very painful lesson in the 2007/08 general election, in which more than 1,300 people died and hundreds of thousands got displaced. That was after politicians disagreed over the outcome of the presidential contest between then President Mwai Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga. Two months after the chaos broke out, which saw neighbours turn against each other for supporting different politicians, the two main rivals — Raila and Kibaki — agreed to work together under the Grand Coalition Government. Kenyan youths must remember that we only have one country to live in. There will be Kenya after the August 8 general election, regardless of who wins the presidential election. No politician is bigger than the country, and as we saw in 2013, the political rivals ordinary people fight for end up being good friends after the election. They end up eating together, collaborating in parliament and being there for each when in office. It should not be forgotten that Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula strongly opposed Raila’s presidential candidature in 2007. But they now fully support the ODM leader because it is in NASA where their interests are being taken care of. There are far too many examples of politicians who have shifted alliances to benefit themselves. We must never repeat the mistake we made as a country in the aftermath of the 2007 polls. That ruthless bloodletting was unnecessary. Let politicians conduct their campaigns in a peaceful manner, and the youth should desist from being used to cause chaos and other electoral malpractices. Kenya is now a mature democracy with working institutions. Disputes should be settled in courts and other regally recognised bodies.