Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya Samson Mwathethe at a past event. He warned politicians against remarks that can divide the country. [Photo: nation.co.ke]
A section of leaders has asked Chief of Defence Samson Mwathethe to keep off Coast politics.
Led by Kilifi County Governor Amason Kingi, the leaders told Mwathethe to concentrate on his official duties and distance himself from politics.
"The duty of the military is to protect citizens from external threats and not politics," Kingi said during anti-election protests on Tuesday.
The County boss who was accompanied by Senator Stewart Madzayo and Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, also defended calls for secession by Coast leaders.
"We are advocating secession to enable the region chart its own path of self-governance after being mistreated for long," he added.
On Saturday, Gen Mwathethe warned politicians against pushing for secession, terming it a recipe for chaos and war.
"In Iraq, for example, I saw a mass grave that stretched for more than eight kilometres. Some politicians are talking but have not seen the impact of war and its threats on the lives of the people," he said, speaking during a funeral service in Murang'a.