NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga. [Photo/Standard Media]
Barely two months to the general elections and politicians are busy parading their manifestos on who deserves to take over the leadership of the country in the process uttering words that may seem to be propagating ethnic tension.
According to political pundit Ngunjiri Wambugu, Kenya might yet again be heading to the ugly face of the 2007/08 post election violence if sanity is not restored among the political class.
"This August Kenya heads into another general election. However, we are facing a real possibility of retrogressing to where we were beforev2007; or where Rwanda was before April 1994," said Wambugu.
Wambugu further explains that the violence may well erupt again mainly because of the hard line stands taken by NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
"This is mainly because unlike President Uhuru Kenyatta who has publicly declared, unconditionally, that he will concede defeat should Kenyans vote for someone else, Raila Odinga – the main opposition presidential candidate now and in 2007 - has declared he will not accept IEBC results if they do not agree with the results of his own private tallying center. He has also declared that he will not take an election dispute to the Judiciary," said Wambugu.
The political pundit also accused Odinga of trying to undermine the powers accorded to the IEBC by making himself the determinant of the August polls which according to him it is a recipe for chaos.
"Essentially, Raila has positioned himself to be the sole determinant of whether the August election is free and fair. If he believes the results are not correct, he will then determine the next course of action, but it will not be the legal course of going to court," he added.
Finally, Wambugu declares that Kenyans should work together to ensure the courts are respected and given the honors to determine the verdict in a political disagreement and such power should not be left to an individual.
"Kenyans from all walks of life, local and international NGOs, and the international political community must insist that any such conflict must be taken to court," said Wambugu.
"We must start pointing fingers at those we will hold politically and/or criminally responsible should there be any death, loss or destruction this August due to election-related violence. Personally my finger is pointing at Raila, and I am willing to defend this position anywhere in the world," he added.