By Kepher Otieno - Senior journalist based in Kenya and a regular advocate for democracy and good governance.
"We have watched elections turn friends into enemies and neighbours into strangers." - Kepher Otieno
Kenya is already entering the political season.
The 2027 General Election is on the horizon.
The temperature is rising. So is the language.
Political leaders are increasingly testing the limits of civility. Some are trading insults.
Others are reviving old grievances.
Some are using words that divide communities and deepen suspicion.
This is dangerous. Not good for us.
Words matter.
Words can heal. They can also wound.
They can build bridges. They can burn them.
Our political leaders must therefore sanitise their language and political culture before the rhetoric gets out of hand.
Kenya does not need another election defined by hatred, contempt and division.
No. It needs an election of ideas.
An election of policies. Simply put -Issue based politics.
An election where leaders compete fiercely but respectfully.
Article 10 of the Constitution gives us a useful compass.
It calls for national values and principles of governance, including patriotism, national unity, sharing and devolution of power, democracy, participation of the people, human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non-discrimination and protection of the marginalized.
These should not remain beautiful words in a constitutional document.
They should guide our politics.
Especially now.
Political competition is legitimate.
Disagreement is legitimate.
Criticism is legitimate. Why?.
This is because of the fundamental freedoms of speech articled in the bill of rights in chapter four of the constitution.
But these constitutional liberties doesn't extend to hatred. No it is not.
Contempt, too, is not.
Incitement is not.
Neither is the politics of humiliation.
Leaders must remember that Kenya is bigger than any individual politician, party or election.
No political office is worth destroying the social fabric of the country.
No vote is worth turning neighbour against neighbour. It's uncalled for.
No rally is worth creating permanent enemies.
Kenyans need each other.
The farmer needs the trader.
The trader needs the transport worker.
The worker needs the employer.
The employer needs the consumer.
The village needs the city.
The city needs the village.
Different communities depend on one another every day. Goods move from one county to the other.
No county is self reliant on food production now.
We are interdependent in production and in supplies.
Our diversity is not our weakness.
It is our strength.
Politics should therefore bring us closer, not push us further apart. Aaah, No.
Our national anthem reminds us of this obligation.
It speaks of peace, love and unity. Let's love one another in this peace accord.
Those are not ceremonial words to be sung at official functions and forgotten afterwards.
They are a national ethic.
They are a call to responsibility.
Our leaders should listen to their own words when they sing the anthem.
What does peace mean if our political language promotes hostility?
What does love mean if we ridicule those who disagree with us?
What does unity mean if we constantly portray other communities as enemies?
We must answer these questions honestly and carefully even push us to hate them or one another.
The responsibility begins with the political class.
Leaders have microphones.
They have followers.
They have enormous influence.
When they speak recklessly, their supporters often repeat the language.
A careless statement from a senior political leader can travel further than a thoughtful policy document.
That is why political leaders must exercise restraint.
Leadership is not measured by how loudly one insults an opponent.
It is measured by how responsibly one disagrees with an opponent.
There is strength in restraint.
There is dignity in humility.
There is wisdom in knowing when not to respond.
Sometimes, when we are reviled, the better response is not to revile in return.
Show respect for contempt.
Remain calm. Let God fight for you.
Do not allow another person's anger to become your own. Ease it off by calmness.
Retreat, when necessary, to advance the greater cause.
There is an old Kiswahili wisdom: “Usione simba amenyeshewa ukadhani ni paka.”
Do not mistake silence for meakness or weakness.
More from Kenya
Do not mistake restraint for fear.
A mature leader knows that not every provocation deserves an answer.
The 2027 election should be a contest of visions.
How will we create jobs?
How will we reduce the cost of living?
How will we improve healthcare?
How will we strengthen education?
How will we grow agriculture?
How will we expand manufacturing?
How will we protect public resources?
How will we make devolution work better?
How will we give young people a meaningful stake in the economy?
These are the questions Kenyans deserve to hear.
Sell policies that edify.
Sell ideas that unite.
Sell programmes that improve lives.
Do not sell hatred.
Do not sell ethnic suspicion.
Do not sell fear.
Do not sell revenge.
Kenyans have suffered enough from political hostility, hate and mudslinging.
We have watched elections turn friends into enemies and neighbours into strangers.
We should know better by now.
The lessons of our history should make us more careful, not more reckless.
As we approach 2027, every leader should ask one simple question before taking the microphone:
Will my words unite Kenya or divide it?
If they divide it, reconsider them.
If they humiliate another Kenyan, reconsider them.
If they inflame communities, reconsider them.
If they promote hatred, reject them.
Political leaders must sanitise not only their language but also their political culture.
They must demonstrate that disagreement does not require disrespect.
Competition does not require hatred.
Ambition does not require humiliation.
And victory does not require the destruction of an opponent.
Kenyans will choose their leaders.
That is democracy.
But whoever wins will inherit the same country.
The same roads.
The same economy.
The same schools.
The same hospitals.
The same Constitution.
The same people.
Why destroy the house you hope to lead?
Let us therefore remain calm.
Let us choose our words carefully.
Let us respect one another.
Let us disagree without becoming enemies.
Let us compete without becoming bitter.
Let us remember that every Kenyan is someone's parent, child, sibling, neighbour or friend.
We are bound together.
We need one another.
Kenya needs peace.
Kenya needs love.
Kenya needs unity.
Above all, Kenya needs leaders who understand that words have consequences.
The 2027 election should test our ideas, not our hatred.
Let us sanitise our language before it poisons our politics.
Let us return to the values of Article 10.
Let us live the spirit of our national anthem.
And when we are reviled, let us not revile in return.
Let us show respect for contempt.
Let us stay calm.
Let us tune ourselves to good. And let's do good.
Try to Harm no one. Begrudge none.
Love one another and our sovereign Lord Jesus Christ our savior.
Pray for Kenya always to prosper under the current stewardship of President Dr William Ruto and those who will follow him.
God bless Kenya. God bless our people. And God bless our leaders.
The writer is a senior journalist based in Kenya and a regular advocate for democracy and good governance. Email address: kepher43@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawan Africa.
Opinion: Aspirants Must Sanitise Their Language Before It Poisons the 2027 General Election
Different communities depend on one another every day.