The media has reported that presidential aspirant Raphael Tuju was attacked on Friday 4th Novermber in Kondele area in Kisumuby goons who did not want him to campaign there. This attack was totally unwarranted.
2012 Kenyan Presidential candidate Raphael Tuju, who was attacked while on a tour of Kisumu on Friday 4th November (pix courtesy of raphaeltuju.org)
Tuju, like any other Kenyan, has a right to visit any part of this country and meet any number of people anywhere and anytime without any other person’s permission. What happened in Kisumu is unfortunate and should be condemned by any peace loving citizen of this country.
Up to this moment, I have not heard of any leader from that area condemning what happened on Friday. This is very worrying especially at a time like this when we are faced with an election in 2012 which promises to be very bruising. It is too early for some people to start creating disturbances and threatening other people.
It is uncouth in this age and time for one to stand in the way of someone wanting to exercise his or her democratic right of expression. Tuju is a Kenyan like any other and should not be hindered from articulating his agenda to Kenyans. Those who attacked his entourage in Kisumu might not like his brand of politics but they should allow him the opportunity to move freely and speak out his mind.
The question that comes to my mind is whether Tuju had informed the security personnel about his activities around the town and what the security personnel in the town did. If he did that, the police were supposed to take precaution and provide him with the necessary security just that ugly incidents like what happened would not occur. Tuju should have known the kind of territory he was visiting and took all necessary precaution.
If Tuju informed the police and they failed to provide him with security, then the police are also to blame for what happened. They should have been aware that the kind of venture Tuju was getting into was bound to bring tension in the town.
The fact that none of the local leaders has so far condemned what happened in Kisumu leaves a lot to be desired. Did they sanction the attack on Tuju? And even if they did not, why have they not condemned such barbaric acts? It leaves us with no alternative but to conclude that these leaders approve of what happened in the town in full view of the members of the public.
This is sending a very worrying message to those who might be thinking of running for elective positions in the town, and in other parts of the country, next year. It could be a tacit message to them that they should not dare oppose certain individuals who dominate politics in certain areas. This then means that those with no clout to hire such goons to cause political mayhem have no chance of making it in elective politics in this country.
This is a very sad state of affairs. The police should rise to the occasion and arrest those people who were so brazen as to even appear in front of cameras shouting. If they want to restore the confidence of the members of the public in the institution, they should carry out investigations independently and bring those perpetrators of impunity to book.
If they fail to do that, the public will conclude that they have been compromised by certain high ranking members of the government and the political class.
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