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Kenya’s five-year cycle of election-related violence in Rift Valley is becoming a thorny issue, with the leading presidential contenders seeking to calm public anxieties ahead of the August polls.

Two weeks after Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate William Ruto held a meeting with members of the Kikuyu community in Njoro, Nakuru County, Raila Odinga’s running mate, Martha Karua, made a whirlwind tour of the area.

Issues touching on peace and security dominated the rallies, especially during DP Ruto’s day-long meeting with locals. At one point, he ordered the press out of the meeting.

Political temperatures

Most speakers raised concern about the rising political temperatures and the possibility of post-election violence, as Ruto listened keenly.

Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, who is vying for governorship, alluded to this, saying the meeting discussed weighty issues.

She explained that those present at the meeting requested that journalists be asked to leave so that they could speak freely to Ruto.

“We are very sorry you were not able to cover the event, but I hope you’ll understand. They (locals) made a request that the media be barred,” she said.

Many people at the meeting claimed that various communities were arming themselves with bows and arrows ahead of the August 9 election. “We must tell you these things because we don’t want women and children to be displaced again by ethnic violence,” said Edith Wambui.

When he rose to speak, DP Ruto recounted the events that led to his political deal with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2012, saying the pact was founded on the need for reconciliation and long-lasting peace in the Rift Valley.

Noting that he had the option of supporting Raila in 2012, Ruto said he chose Uhuru because they had a lot in common, considering that their communities live side-by-side in the Rift Valley.

“I knew whoever I supported at the time would win the election, but I chose Uhuru because we wanted to bring our communities together,” Ruto said.

“That is still my position because I am also a resident of this region. I wouldn’t want anything that would jeopardise peace, he said.

On Monday, Karua — who was accompanied by Governor Lee Kinyanjui, Murang’a Woman Rep Sabina Chege and former Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi, among other leaders — appeared to address fears raised by Rift Valley residents two weeks ago.

Yesterday, the national chairman of the Kikuyu Council of Elders, Samuel Maigua, said he had received distress calls from elders, particularly in Njoro.