On paper it does appear that political intolerance is increasingly becoming a big problem and this portends a fairly dark space in the coming electioneering period. When violence is meted on political leaders who command serious political clout, often regional, the risk of retaliatory attacks and consequent balkanisation of the country becomes real. To this end, we must come out strongly and nip political intolerance at the bud, because we want a free country where politicians of different persuasions can sell their ideas, track record and manifesto anywhere in this country. Their acceptance or rejection on the ballot should be on solid grounds anchored on information; part of which the public gathers from speeches and articulation of issues in these political rallies.
Political rallies are for politicians to explain to us what is in it for us. When chaos erupt we end up not understanding nothing from these politicians. The promises politicians make in public are very important because, there is something about communication, when it is made in public. It increases commitment and gives the public a basis to call for accountability. For instance, Kenyans are today evaluating the Deputy Presidents on the promises he has made in the past including the historic stadium at Kamariny and the ten thousand tractors that were to save our women and mothers from the toil of tilling the land using jembes.
Raila Amollo Odinga’s presidency will be evaluated on the basis of his six thousand social welfare funds that targets the very poor families. It is thus incumbent upon us to allow these politicians to pronounce themselves on issues in these rallies. Granted, there are goofs here and there, but once they say it in public, they will have to find a formula to deliver it to the public.
Well, back to the chaos in Kisumu and it is an open secret that most of these crowds are mobilised and money is involved. Therefore, when a crowd turns up to a politician’s rally, they are either mobilised or they are just loyal supporters out to listen to their leaders. A crowd that is not mobilised has no reason to cause chaos. They will either cause chaos because they have not been compensated for showing up or someone will mobilise another set of crowd to cause chaos. No sane Kenyans would leave their business or homes to just go cause chaos. It is impossible or maybe unlikely and suffice to say, no Raila supporter would want to risk the gains in their leader’s climbing of the mountain by leaving their business to just go cause chaos in the DP’s meeting. Not when we are still celebrating Eldoret for showing Baba love and respect.
But we may want to dig deep and ask ourselves two pertinent questions: Who wins or loses when Raila climbs the mountain and gets the kind of reception he got in Rift Valley? And who wins or loses when the DP’s tour of Raila’s stronghold is marred with chaos and violence?
A sneak preview of what dots the social mediascape could provide pathways to tentative answers. Is it not peculiar that the very guys who post pictures of any unfortunate incident of heckling or chaos in Raila’s rallies are the same guys who are quick to share the DP’s disrupted rallies in ODM strongholds? Their agenda seems to be twofold: to project the climbing of the mountain as a herculean task beyond Baba and to undermine Azimio la Umoja.
It is clear that Baba’s climbing of the mountain, popularity in Rift Valley and deeply entrenched support in Western Kenya is awakening a new dawn as encapsulated in Azimio la Umoja. And there are forces that are out to scuttle that by profiling Luos as politically intolerant. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to read that. Listen to the words of the hustler nation’s luminaries and their unfortunate sentiments trying to link the violence to Raila Odinga. Then watch the clips of the Kondele incident there seems to be some suggestion that there was a combination of facilitation and mobilisation fees gone sour and some underhand negative politics to create and drive a narrative.
An organic crowd that is not mobilised cannot cause chaos and has no time to disrespect leaders. In fact, not the folks in Kisumu. Just recently, the crowd in Kisumu cheered the DP as he was leaving the Madaraka Day celebrations. It is not lost on us that all those folks were Luos. They certainly had in their memories what hustler leaders have said about their leader, Raila Odinga, and the entire community – very unkind words including profiling Luos as watu wa Kubomoa. But they showed the DP nothing but love and respect. Why would they within a short time turn against the DP, especially at this point in time when everyone knows that everywhere the DP and his team goes he ‘empowers’ the locals!
We know that almost 100% of the folks who attended the Kondole rally respect and even admire the DP, but certainly support Baba to the last man. Therefore, their being there was probably facilitated and a deeper reading would suggest that maybe, just maybe facilitation extended beyond creation of the perception of serious hustler nation followers in Kisumu to a well calculated framing of the Nyanza visit.
My political communication mind tells me that the intent of this calculated move was essentially to prime the hustler nation as an unstoppable juggernaut while at the same time frame the Chief Hustler’s main competitor, Raila Odinga, as intolerant of the hustler nation’s popularity in his backyard. And the question that we need to ask is whether Raila Odinga or his supporters in Kisumu would want to jeopardize the political aspirations enshrined in Azimio la Umoja by fermenting political intolerance. It is lazy and naïve to even imagine a person of Raila Odinga’s stature can involve himself in the pettiness of political intolerance to the point of instigating violence in a rivals meeting. I mean this is an enigma who fought for the space we have today to hold dissenting opinions and to express them openly.
Folks in Kisumu have seen Baba’s stock rise significantly as he climbs the mountain and there is nothing they would want more than see Baba become the fifth president. Violence against the DP would be the last thing on their mind. But politicians use both orthodox and unorthodox means. For a vulnerable group of underemployed young Kenyans in their thousands, who accept Ksh 300,000 as empowerment, anything is possible and from where I sit, few thousands might have been spent to create a chaotic scene with minimal real damage but maximum political implications.
The author is a PhD Candidate in Media Studies and Political communication.
