Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has warned that Kenya risks returning to an era of political violence as the country moves towards the 2027 General Election.
Owalo, a former Cabinet secretary for ICT, said recent violence reported during the Ol Kalou by-election and alleged attacks on political actors in Homa Bay were signs of growing political intolerance.
“Politics must be a contest of ideas, policies and leadership, not a contest of violence,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
He urged political leaders and their supporters to reject intimidation and the use of gangs against rivals.
Owalo said no part of Kenya should be treated as the political territory of a particular party or politician.
“Homa Bay is Kenya. Ol Kalou is Kenya. Nairobi is Kenya. Every part of Kenya belongs equally to every Kenyan,” he said.
He was particularly critical of the involvement of young people in political violence. He said youths should be given opportunities to shape their future rather than being drawn into confrontations between political groups.
“Our youth should never be reduced to instruments of political violence or hired muscle for political interests,” he said.
Owalo also pointed to constitutional protections for political participation. Articles 37 and 38 guarantee rights including peaceful assembly, demonstrations and political participation, while Article 39 protects freedom of movement.
He argued that those rights should apply to Kenyans regardless of their political affiliation or the candidate they support.
“The Constitution does not recognize political territories where one group of Kenyans is entitled to campaign while another is prohibited from doing so,” he said.
Owalo called on the National Police Service and other investigative and prosecutor agencies to pursue cases of political violence without favor.
He said responsibility should extend beyond those who carry out attacks to people who organise, finance or encourage them.
He also warned against applying different standards depending on which political side is involved.
“If we genuinely believe in constitutional democracy, then the same standards must apply whether the victim is a government supporter, an opposition supporter, a presidential candidate, an ordinary citizen, a journalist or a member of the security services,” he said.
His remarks come as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections, when Kenyans will elect a president, lawmakers and county leaders.
Owalo urged politicians to allow citizens to attend rallies, hear competing political messages and campaign without fear.
He said the credibility of Kenya’s democracy would depend on whether political competition remained peaceful and whether power continued to change hands through the ballot.
“Let us defend the sanctity of the ballot and, above all, let us refuse to make violence the language of Kenyan politics,” he said.
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