Kenya will go to the polls on August 9 to elect new national and county governments for the next five years and ahead of the elections former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has called on the electorate to exercise peace during and after the polls.

In a video shared on his social media handles, the Montreal Impact captain called on the youth to respect each other’s political leanings as there is still life beyond elections.

He said, “To the youth let’s vote peacefully and be each other’s keeper during this time. Don’t fight each other because there is life after elections. Vote for whomever you want and do so peacefully.”

Election intolerance

Elections in Kenya have become synonymous with political intolerance.  

If registered to vote, Wanyama can do so while in Canada as one of more than 10,000 registered voters from the diaspora. He will however not be able to vote for his older brother MacDonald Mariga who is vying for the Kibra Constituency parliamentary seat as voters outside the country are only allowed to cast their votes in the Presidential race only.

The 31-year-old is currently with his team preparing for Sunday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) encounter with Inter Miami.

With 11 matches still to play in the regular season, title-chasing Impact are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings with 39 points, six points behind leaders Philadelphia Union.

MLS Playoffs

The top seven sides in both the Eastern and Western Conferences at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for the playoffs that will ultimately decide the winner of this season’s title.

Wanyama joined the Canadian outfit in 2020 after playing seven years in the English Premier League (EPL) with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. He was named captain in his second season with the team in 2021 and immediately led the side to the Canadian Championship after they beat rivals Toronto FC 1-0 in the domestic league final. The win secured the team’s qualification to the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League.