Uhuru in Kisumu. There have been rioters at both Jubilee and NASA campaign rallies causing trouble to the politicians. [Photo: PSCU]It is a common theory that the post-election violence in 2007/8 in Kenya was planned and premeditated.However, while it is notable that it was instigated by politicians, it is clear that it was sporadic reactionary attacks in some regions marked as “hotspots”, which led to counter attacks with the situation escalating to unimaginable levels.The case of political intolerance seen in Kisumu is a clear indicator of how political temperature can rise and the perceived intolerance by other communities can result in retaliatory attacks. President Uhuru Kenyatta was in Kisumu to launch a brewery and campaign ahead of the August 8 polls. While some of his meetings in the Kisumu went on without a hitch, he was heckled and stones were thrown at his entourage and dais in some areas that were hostile.The youths chanted NASA and oppositions slogans and it was difficult to address the meeting for Uhuru and his Deputy William Ruto.It has to be appreciated that this is Raila Odinga’s backyard and his perceived stronghold. It is also a region that is predominantly ODM and other parties get a hard time to be accepted here.On the same day, Raila was touring Baringo County with other NASA principals including Isaac Ruto, the Chama Cha Mashinani leader.As if on a cue, youths in Baringo disrupted meetings there and heckled the NASA principals shouting Jubilee slogans and even burning ODM and NASA campaign posters and T-shirts. The news of the president and his deputy being heckled in Kisumu had reached Baringo and the people were reacting to this political intolerance.Unfortunately, yesterday marks the climax of the political intolerance seen in the country in the recent days. Raila who was to take his campaign in Central Kenya had a problem addressing the youth in Kenol and Thika. Although his meetings in Murang’a went on well without any hitch, his tour of Kenol and Thika saw his vehicles pelted with stones and extremely hostile youths chanting ‘Jubilee’ and ‘Tuko Pamoja’, Jubilee’s slogan.Some of the youths were quoted saying that if the people in Kisumu cannot allow Jubilee leaders to address them, they wouldn’t allow NASA’s either.These were retaliatory attacks which politicians should work hard to curb political intolerance.

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