There have been recent concerns by politicians such as the former Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, and the Governor of Transzoia County, George Natembeya, claiming that their lives may be in danger due to political matters. The safety of all citizens, including public officials, matters because it is their constitutional right to be protected. The main work of the opposition is probably to engage in debates that challenge the government to justify its actions and decisions.
The government should take these actions positively so they can do their work properly and willingly to the people of Kenya. Since there is no opposing party, it is the work of these leaders to put the government in check or make it accountable. If there are no opposition parties, there may be a lot of challenges, since the people may feel that they are not represented. This may lead to them being dissatisfied and disengaged from the political matters.
Most probably, the government should allow the former Deputy President to take charge as an opposition leader since he wants to represent the interest of the people effectively and uphold democratic values. Serious investigations need to be done by the authorities about the claims to determine their validity and identify any threats against them. The authorities should provide enough security personnel for public officials, especially during events which they attend and are determined to be of political matters.
The government should not turn security issues into political battles, since their work is to protect and safeguard the people from harm and not to focus on matters that do not concern them. It is wrong for politicians to also misuse security personnel for personal or political gain, rather than for their genuine safety concern. If this matter of security is not handled transparently, it may lead to accusations of favoritism or biasness.
Article written by: Maxwell Wairegi.
