Wajackoyah: Kenya sliding back to tribal politics

Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah has warned that Kenya is sliding back into tribal politics, cautioning leaders against using ethnicity to advance political goals at the expense of national unity.

Speaking during an interview on Spice FM, Wajackoyah said tribalism has again become a dominant feature of the country's political discourse and warned it risks dividing the country and sidelining the younger generation.

"Projecting a particular tribe to drive political discussions or achieve political goals is dangerous. Let us not join a wind whose direction we do not know," he said on Wednesday, July 22.

"Waves come and waves go. Tribalism has become a precedent in those waves but let us pray that real change will come from leaders who believe in a united Kenya," he added.

He noted that the Constitution recognises Kenya's ethnic diversity but elected leaders carry a duty to represent all Kenyans and not only members of their own communities.

"We are all from different ethnic communities, but political leaders are supposed to represent all Kenyans, not just their own people," he explained.

Wajackoyah questioned the growing trend of leaders retreating into what he termed "tribal cocoons", saying it leaves many young Kenyans with no sense of belonging.

"Many young people, especially those born and raised in Nairobi, do not even know or identify with their ancestral roots. If we continue taking tribal sides, where will this generation belong?" he posed.

He observed that such politics adds no value to the country's development and instead deepens divisions among citizens.

The Roots Party leader also turned on President William Ruto's administration, accusing it of poor governance and failing to address challenges facing ordinary Kenyans.

"The Ruto government has deliberately brought us to where we are today. People are disappearing, children are being killed, unemployment remains high and there is little development that directly benefits wananchi. It all points to poor governance," he argued.

Wajackoyah maintained that replacing the current administration with leaders who have previously held power will not solve the country's problems.

"Some of those now in the opposition have been in government before. They served for many years and were rejected by the same people. They cannot now claim they are the ones to bring change. We need completely new faces in Kenyan politics, young or old, people who understand the real struggles on the ground," he said.

He said many political leaders neither understand the real problems facing Kenyans nor offer practical solutions, adding that meaningful change will only come through the country's youth.

"Only the youth will change this country and we should work together. Now that they say 'wako kadi' let us see how they will decide," he noted.

Referring to the recent parliamentary by-election in Ol Kalou, Wajackoyah said the vote offered a lesson for the rest of the country.

"If Kenyans can repeat what they did in Ol Kalou, where the government was so desperate that it distributed gas cylinders and mattresses instead of investing in schools, teachers, clean water and other basic services, then a lesson has been learnt. That lesson should spread across the country," he explained.