Reggae will stop, Ruto says as he warns over stoking of ethnic discord in BBI rallies

By , K24 Digital
On Sun, 23 Feb, 2020 16:45 | 3 mins read
Ruto reggae
Deputy President William Ruto (in blue coat) while at the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya, Gatunduri in Embu County on February 23, 2020. PHOTO | TWITTER
Deputy President William Ruto (in blue coat) while at the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya, Gatunduri in Embu County on February 23, 2020. PHOTO | TWITTER

Reggae will stop. Those were the words of Deputy President William Ruto On Sunday, when he cautioned against the propagation of ethnic hatred in Building Bridges Initiative popularisation rallies.

"If this story we are being told that nobody can stop reggae, if the reggae we are being told is the ethnicity that is being preached in BBI rallies and the ethnic profiling of communities and the hate and the campaign of one community against another, if that is the reggae they are talking about, my friends, reggae will stop," said DP Ruto.

Speaking at a church in Embu, the Deputy President said they will not be blackmailed, threatened and victimized by "people who don't believe in God."

"Reggae, Tsunami cannot stop us," said Dr. Ruto, alluding to recent remarks made before and during BBI rallies in Narok County over land issues.

Ruto's comments seem to have been sparked by remarks Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina over the alleged exploitation of Maasai people.

Ole Kina said that the Maa community must protect their land and territory.

The senator was repeating the same remarks he made during a debate with Senator Aaron Cheruiyot on Citizen TV on Wednesday, February 19.

Ole Kina decried the alleged exploitation of Maasai people by those who purchase their land, subdivide it and later sell it at high prices.

The senator also claimed that the exploitation has also led to the election of non-Maa people in their region.

Ruto allies

Allies of DP Ruto gave the BBI rally in Narok a wide berth, choosing instead to criticize the event on their social media platforms.

Curiously, Senate Majority Leader and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Senator Cheruiyot, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa and his Gatundu South counterpart Moses Kuria who had attended the Kitui rally, were no show.

Taking to their social media accounts, the lawmakers, led by Senator Murkomen criticized the BBI document and regional rallies, saying they made a personal decision not to attend the BBI rally in Narok because there was “a scheme to divide people along tribal lines”

“I sympathize with problems affecting Kenyans in the three counties but I don’t believe the solutions lie in hating others. I believe in peace, love, and unity,” Mr. Murkomen said in a post on twitter.

“So Junet Mohamed, a Somali in Migori voted in by Luos went all the way to Narok to tell the Maasai not to elect non-Maa in Narok, Kajiado and Samburu counties, and Baba was cheering? he asked, “Kwendeni huko kabisa msituletee ujinga ya ukabila. Let Kenyans live, work and lead anywhere in the Republic.”

His views were shared by his Majority Whip Susan Kihika, who claimed the BBI report is quickly gaining momentum in Balkanizing the country and whipping up terrible tribal emotions.

“Brothers and sisters, the BBI is sham and bad for Kenya! BBI is the greatest political con job of our time. It’s a scam,” Ms. Kihika, who is also the Nakuru Senator also posted on Twitter.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa said the politics of ethnic balkanization will not unite Kenyans by spreading hatred and divisions along ethnic lines for politic's sake.

He noted the BBI report should not be hijacked to create a new narrative of 40 against 2.

“We were told to lie low like envelopes. We must never allow this brand of politics to creep back into our national conversation. We must stop the architect and lord of the 41 against 1 politics,” said Mr. Ichungwa.

The MP also took a swipe on Suna East MP Junet Mohammed for allegedly calling on Maa nation not to elect a non-locals in any elective in Samburu, Narok, and Kajiado.