Kikuyu, Kalenjin in Rift are not amused by ex-DP's 'Xmas' talk

After the 2007-2008 post-election violence, the Kikuyu and Kalenjin leaders came together to promote peace, urging their people to focus on shared interests rather than political divisions.

These community elders held joint meetings, reminding their youth that their livelihoods—farming, trade, and education—depended on stability. Their efforts helped prevent clashes, proving that Kenya remains stable and prosperous when Kikuyus and Kalenjins are on the same political plane.

That is why former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s assertion that the 2027 elections will make 2007 look like Christmas party is disturbing, especially to people in the Rift Valley region, which bore the brunt of the 2007/2008 post-election violence.

Such rhetoric threatens to hurt relations between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin people who live together in the Rift Valley region.

If Gachagua is to beat Ruto in 2027, he must win over the two communities in the Rift Valley region—the Kalenjin and Kikuyu. His success in this endeavour hinges on earning the trust of the Kalenjin community, with whom Kikuyus in the region share social and economic spaces.

It will be difficult for him to convince people who vowed never to fight again to oppose each other. The Rift Valley has historically been a crossroads for ethnic tensions, often fuelled by political rivalries.

The memories of the 2007/2008 post-election violence loom large in the minds of many, particularly those who bore the brunt of the chaos.

Unlike Kikuyus in Mount Kenya, those living in the Rift Valley reside alongside the Kalenjin. They have experienced election-related violence first-hand and will demand unity from their leaders.

If Gachagua genuinely seeks to consolidate Kikuyu support in the Rift Valley, he cannot afford to alienate their Kalenjin neighbours. Therefore, he must foster cohesion instead of stoking fear, ensuring the two communities stand together after 2027.

Few communities in Kenya are as intertwined as the Kikuyu and Kalenjin people in the Rift Valley. They share neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, and markets. History and geography have woven their lives together in towns like Eldoret, Kericho, Nakuru, and Naivasha. Their harmony is not a choice—it is a necessity. When they unite politically, stability follows, but whenever division takes hold, the consequences are dire.

The 2007–2008 violence left over 1,500 dead and thousands displaced. Unlike spontaneous unrest in other regions, the politicians were implicated in planning attacks in the Rift Valley region.

Over the years, efforts by civil society organisations, NGOs, and leaders of goodwill have fostered reconciliation. These hard-earned gains will not be undone by reckless political manoeuvring. Power-hungry figures revive old animosities every election season, turning historical grievances into political tools. This cycle will end.

Since then, one lesson has remained clear: Kenya remains stable when Kikuyus and Kalenjins unite. But as 2027 approaches, emerging fractures threaten this delicate peace. The widening gap between Gachagua and President William Ruto risks unsettling the Rift Valley’s unity if left unchecked. I don’t think the people will stand and await to experience similar ideals again.

Will Rift Valley allow political rivalries to undo years of progress? I don’t think so because leaders come and go, but communities endure. If divisions deepen, politicians do not suffer—ordinary people do. If violence erupts, homes, businesses, and families will bear the brunt, while political figures will watch from their vantage points.

The people of the Rift Valley cannot afford to be pawns in political games for another round. They will demand unity, reject division, and hold leaders accountable.

If Kikuyus and Kalenjins in the Rift Valley stand together, they can force politicians to reconcile or leave them alone. Their demand must be apparent: Anyone seeking to lead them must champion peace and not provoke conflict.

Therefore, the Kikuyus and Kalenjins in the Rift Valley must refuse to be drawn into Ruto-Gachagua division, reject leaders who prey on their old wounds, and insist that politics serves them and not vice versa.

Dr Ndonye is a senior lecturer at Kabarak University’s Department of Mass Communication