Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir has called on all leaders to shun divisive politics in their campaigns.
Speaking during a women's forum in Mombasa, Mvita Member of Parliament Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir said the country cannot afford chaotic polls that can arise from reckless utterances. Kenyans, he said, should reject such leaders, and he called for a sober approach by political leaders.
"I wish to urge political leaders to guard their tongues. They must avoid inflammatory statements that might propagate hatred and divisive politics," Nassir said.
Remembering 2007/2008
Nassir reminded the forum that the country went through a tortuous journey arising from the 2007/2008 post-election violence, in which hundreds were killed and thousands displaced. He noted that the political violence affected Mombasa residents whose property was destroyed and who had to seek refuge in churches.
Kenya's worst post-election crisis left more than 1,000 people dead and over half a million displaced, and its memory continues to shape how leaders, security agencies and civil society approach every election cycle. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) was established in its wake, precisely to police hate speech and incitement.
Women join the call
Meanwhile, the patron of the Daughters of Raila political lobby group, Ms Beatrice Gambo, promised to carry out peaceful door-to-door campaigns and rallies in Mombasa County. Women's groups have increasingly taken an active role in grassroots political mobilisation while simultaneously pressing leaders to keep campaigns issue-based and violence-free.
The cost of heated rhetoric
Analysts note that inflammatory statements made at rallies rarely stay at rallies — they circulate on social media, take on new meanings and can incite audiences far from the original podium. Political parties are expected to enforce their own codes of conduct, and the NCIC has powers to investigate and recommend prosecution for hate speech under Kenyan law.
