Toxic talk: The cost of loose words in Kenya's politics

The country has witnessed heightened political activity as leaders jostle to position themselves ahead of the next General Election, now about 730 days away.

Government-allied leaders have been doing their best to defend the "hand that feeds them", while critics, now calling themselves the joint opposition, have been working round the clock to unseat the current administration.

For the longest time, leaders have been considered critical figures in society, and in some cases, role models for the younger generation. However, recent months have seen some behave badly, spewing unprintable epithets that have left Kenyans questioning their integrity as political competition intensifies.

Ironically, these same leaders often call for discipline and virtue among citizens. A section of Kenyans see this as a case of preaching water while drinking wine, accusing some political heavyweights of making derogatory, sexist, and inciting remarks. Lecturing parents on child-rearing while making such comments has been described as hypocritical and alarming.

Veteran politician Koigi Wamwere is among those disturbed by the state of political discourse. “You don't call people names that end up putting somebody's wife or husband or mother in bad light. Others say ‘you are as foolish as your mother or something like that’. This is the kind of language that discredits leaders themselves,” he told The Standard.

Koigi said he would never vote for someone who uses such language, not because they are corrupt, but because their language is immature and unfit for public platforms.

“I'm surprised because I got into politics say, in about 1964 and I never came across the kind of language that I'm hearing now, even when we were treated very badly, as opposition by leaders.”

He said while President Jomo Kenyatta occasionally used harsh words, it was often excused due to his age. “Although people like the first President Jomo Kenyatta could occasionally put in some words, it was attributed to his age and he was the only person who did it. But I never heard people like Jaramogi Oginga Odinga or the late President, Daniel Moi use that kind of language.”

“I never came across Moi using that kind of language. They were respectful enough not to use that kind of language. It shows the current leaders we have are immature and do not deserve leadership whatsoever. People said because of his (Kenyatta) age, he was allowed to use that kind of language but not young leader would dare use that language, even against their worst of enemies,” he said.

Koigi is particularly concerned about young leaders. “One hopes that somebody will stop its use. But I don't know how because it's like the more obscene the language, the more leaders like MPs get cheered in public rallies. There is a big difference between the old and the new. But the young leaders are engaging in this language with greater venom than their seniors.”

“Imagine this language being used in front of the President himself. You wonder, has he allowed them to use this language? Or are they convinced that an obscene language can make an impact? So you go ahead and use it and I will look the other way?”

President William Ruto recently urged parents to take greater responsibility for raising their children, saying neither the government nor institutions like the church could replace the role of parenting. “All of us must take responsibility if our children do the wrong thing. The police are trained to deal with criminals, not in parenting. If you surrender your children to the police, what do you expect? I take time to parent my children, and so must everybody.”

He also condemned what he described as the misuse of young people by some politicians. “Leaders, let us not misuse or abuse our children by inciting them to cause violence, destroy property, and people’s businesses.”

Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah recently faced criticism after he made a comment referencing the spouse of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The Kikuyu MP spoke of what seemed to be an attack on Dorcas Gachagua, drawing backlash from the public.

“Stooping too low … this is too low of you!! Attacking someone's wife because you do not disagree with her husband, why don't you fight him like a man, that's man to man… That's why I stand with the narrative of draining the swamp… There are lines you never cross in politics… I don't have words…” Kenyans commented.

Dorcas, who is currently accompanying Gachagua on an overseas tour, responded in a somewhat subtle manner. She said, “So when he is giving me to speak, he is not giving it to me because I am… I don’t know, I heard I sit… how can you sit on a man like this? A man who is causing a whole nation not to sleep?”

This incident came just after Wajir County MP Fatuma Jehow made controversial remarks pointing to their resolve in ensuring Ruto gets a second term.

“Sisi maneno yetu ni mafupi tu, tunasema tu two terms… ama kuna maneno ingine. Sisi tunangojea tu debe iletwe hata kama hatutakuwa na votes tutamuibia hiyo sio siri.” (We do not have much to say, we are saying two terms (for Ruto). Is there anything else? We are waiting for the ballot boxes and even if we do not have enough votes, we will ‘steal’ them. That is no secret.)

Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Rep Caroline Jeptoo Ng'elechei added to the controversy: "Mwanaume mzuri, mwanaume aliye na afya na akili timamu haendangi round moja!" (A healthy and sane man does not take only one round.)

Nominated MP Sabina Chege echoed similar sentiments: “Women, you know that a good man does not go for one round, he goes for second and third round, right? Now you want to remove Ruto after the first round of his term.”

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi said: “Wewe umewahi kusikia wapi mtu amekuwa rais term moja? Hakuna mahali Ruto anaenda… Hata kama hazitoshi, tutaongeza!” (Have you ever heard of a President ruling for only one term? Ruto is here to stay. Even if two terms are not enough, we will add more.)

In another instance, he said: “Vijana wetu, wasichana kwa wavulana, wengi wanaandika mambo machafu sana… kila mtu kaisha mtoto wako na umwongeleshe.” (Our youth, both girls and boys, are writing very dirty things. Everyone should talk to their children.)

Former MP William Kamket said: “If they joke, you know I come from the county of 24 years. Baringo, we know about 24 years, we know to manufacture a president to survive for 24 years. If they joke, if they joke we can tell you to extend past the two terms.”

Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria also weighed in, saying: “Once a Divisional Officer (DO), always a DO. People thought we were joking when many of us were against this guy being appointed Deputy President, now see what he is doing… he is the one who knows who is educated, knows which party is good, he is even going to give us the maximum height of a woman you should marry.”

“This pettiness, I’m done with it because it defines our community wrongly… I do believe Ruto and Gachagua had very serious differences but like two grown up men with b***, they should go aside and box each other… you are dragging our country to shallow pettiness dragging everybody, you are discussing people’s voices, heights, wives. The leadership bar has never fallen this low in my community.”

Gachagua himself has used harsh language, calling the Deputy President a “soprano” due to his voice, and branding the President as a “thief”, a “killer”, and an “abductor”. During a US tour, he rallied the Kikuyu community against the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“My greatest pain are the collaborators, our own leaders who speak the way we are speaking are working with him to finish the community. That is my greatest pain as a leader from that region. The MP for Kikuyu and Laikipia East are the greatest enemies of our community. All that attack of businesses, all that killing, arrest of young people.”

Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap said: “Ruto must stay. Let it not be when a leader comes from our region we say he must go, but when from another region, no one pushes such an agenda. Don’t tempt us to give Ruto 20 years.”

Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago said: “We the Kalenjin nation delayed the colonization of this country by 15 years, wazungu wangekua hii dunia by 1905, sisi ndio tulifanya wakakosa kufika hapa. Wewe unatambia tulipigania uhuru. If you continue, and I want to caution the Mt Kenya nation, mkiendelea namna hiyo we are going to do an audit of what has happened to this country in the last 15 years.”

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said during a rally: “Nyinyi ndugu wa Trans-Nzoia, hasa jamii ya Wakalenjin nyinyi ndiye mmezaa rais William Ruto na munaona vile anachezewea. You are the first and last line of defence ya rais wetu, mtu akija hapa na maneno ambayo haiyeleweki mwambie wewe ngonjea wakati wako ukifika utasema maneno yako.”

Musa Sirma, Eldama Ravine MP, stated: “Kuna watu hawatakii Kenya iendelee, as if it is supposed to be kutoka area moja ndio mambo ya maendeleo katika Kenya lazima yapitie. Tunataka kuwaambia wale ambao wanaona ya kwamba serikali haifanyi kazi watuonyeshe. Lakini tumeona hata kuwaongelesha ni bure tu kwa sababu their target is civil coup in this country.”

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said last year: “Why is Ruto only being compared to former President Daniel Moi, who was also from the Kalenjin community, and not others like Jomo Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta, who were all from the Kikuyu tribe?”

Damaris Kemunto, Programme Officer at the International Commission for Jurists, said: “While some utterances were focused on an individual, it not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes but also diverts focus from government achievements and shifts to personal lives.”

“There is also political rivalry. Most of these comments are understood within that context. I know the political tensions are now escalating because of the election so some of these utterances sometimes are made due to political rivalry. And being an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, and working under the human rights space, some of these differences are defamatory, I would say…”

She also stated: “The person who has been accused or the person who has made these utterances must be able to prove that it ruins their reputation… It’s a civil dispute.”

Psychologist Grace Kinuthia described the behaviour as anti-social and contrary to societal norms. “Morals and values are taught at home. If someone steals or insults elders because they saw others do it, that’s a personal failing.”

Earlier this week, Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma sought a statement from the Senate Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity on inflammatory remarks by leaders.

She said such utterances violate Article 33(2) of the Constitution and the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

Mumma asked whether NCIC has taken action or recommended policies to regulate the use of digital platforms to prevent the spread of hate speech and incitement.

She also sought clarity on collaborations between NCIC and bodies like the Communications Authority, Media Council, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, National Gender and Equality Commission, and investigative arms like the National Police Service and DCI.

She called for promotion of responsible communication by leaders to prevent ethnic polarisation and incitement.