By Tobias Ogutu
The Kenyan Constitution of 2010 clearly states the rights to which each citizen is entitled anywhere in the country. One of these is the freedom or right to belong to a political party, either as a registered member or supporter. Additionally, an individual from any region of Kenya has the right to support any political aspirant to whom they subscribe to their manifesto. However, these rights and freedoms are being limited by some politicians who believe that certain regions of the country must align with a certain political party or aspirant. Those who oppose the political alignment of the region face consequences, including death. In Kisumu County, many people have become political martyrs simply because they supported a candidate or party outside the region’s political alignment.
Over the past decades, Kisumu has been known to be a region that observes political alignment. This means that the residents of this lakeside city only accept candidates vying for political positions under a political party they approve of. For many years, this region has remained loyal to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and its leader, Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga. In recent years, going against Raila Odinga or the ODM Party has had severe consequences. Many who attempted to test the water had their properties destroyed, were physically beaten, and some even lost their lives. In Kisumu, you will hear an individual saying, “Oloyo iyang’ minwa to kik iyang’ Raila.” This means that the individual permits anyone to insult his or her mother but not Raila.
Great love for a tribe’s man is not bad; what is out of order is denying other citizens the freedom to support another person who is not aligned with the region’s political party. Many people in Kisumu have suffered because of this, thus undermining democracy. Jared Obunde, a resident of Nyalenda A, recalls how his home was attacked in 2022 because he was a party agent for a candidate who did not belong to the ODM party. Joyce Amondi recounts how she woke up one morning to find her grocery stall burned to the ground during the last election. According to Joyce, she was targeted because she supported a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) who was vying for an independent ticket and not ODM. Joyce points an accusing finger at the ODM party, an MCA aspirant whose supporters had threatened her severally about her political stand. Joyce reported the matter, the suspects were arrested, but did not even take time inside a police station before their favorite candidate bailed them out immediately.
Many political martyrs in Kisumu have been physically assaulted, killed, and branded as enemies of the community because they supported parties other than the ODM. Such scenarios may appear insignificant at the national level, but at the community level, they are serious and affect individuals with different political views.
It is the government’s responsibility to observe strict rules and punish those found guilty of assaulting and intimidating other citizens based on their political stance.
