Wainaina Denies Threatening Rift Valley Communities, Warns Against Politicising Ethnic Tensions
“I want to urge the young politicians misquoting me to do their politics in a different way without invoking my name or trying to whip emotions,”
Joseph Wainaina Iraya during a past address at a function in Eldoret.
By James Gitaka
UDA-nominated Member of Parliament Joseph Wainaina Iraya has come under sharp criticism over remarks allegedly interpreted as threatening communities in the Rift Valley that may fail to support President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
Wainaina, however, has strongly denied making threats or advocating for ethnic confrontation, saying his remarks were taken out of context and distorted for political purposes.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page and delivered partly in the Kikuyu dialect, the nominated legislator described himself as a peace campaigner whose personal experience with the 2007 post-election violence makes him opposed to any form of ethnic incitement or political violence.
Wainaina said he personally lost his father during the 2007 post-election violence, an experience he said profoundly shaped his commitment to peace.
“Personally, I was affected. My father died as a result of the same violence, and we had to bury him in Lang’ata,” Wainaina said, adding that he subsequently assisted several victims of the violence to access medical care and other forms of support.
The legislator said his personal history made it impossible for him to support rhetoric that could trigger ethnic tensions or violence.
He maintained that he would be “the last person” to threaten communities with violence, arguing that he has spent years advocating for peace and reconciliation.
Wainaina also accused some young politicians of deliberately misquoting him and exploiting his remarks to whip up emotions as they position themselves for elective seats ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He warned that political leaders should avoid statements that could reopen wounds created by previous episodes of election-related violence, particularly in the Rift Valley.
The nominated MP said he has made significant investments in Uasin Gishu and other parts of the Rift Valley and therefore has a personal interest in seeing the region remain peaceful.
According to Wainaina, the country must not repeat the violence witnessed during previous election cycles, including the 1992, 1997 and 2007 post-election periods.
“I would not be the first person to want my community to face any trouble. I am an old man and a grandfather. Why would I say that the Kikuyu community should vacate the Rift Valley when I am one of them?” he questioned.
He urged members of the Kikuyu community and other communities living in the Rift Valley not to interpret his remarks as a call for confrontation or displacement, insisting that his intention was to promote peace and coexistence.
Wainaina further appealed to younger politicians to pursue their political ambitions without dragging his name into inflammatory exchanges.
“I want to urge the young politicians misquoting me to do their politics in a different way without invoking my name or trying to whip emotions,” he said.
The legislator said he had personally witnessed the devastating consequences of the 2007 post-election violence, including assisting victims and burying some of those who lost their lives.
He cautioned that reckless political rhetoric could create conditions similar to those that preceded past episodes of violence.
“I would not want that to happen because this is how it all started—with such reckless talks. We are peaceful at the moment,” he said.
Wainaina’s clarification comes amid growing political activity in the Rift Valley, a region that has historically been sensitive to political and ethnic rhetoric during election periods.
The controversy has renewed calls for political leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements and avoid language that could heighten ethnic tensions as the country moves closer to the 2027 General Election.
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