Top-notch lawyer and a specialist in governance, Prof. PLO Lumumba has raised his voice against the increasing incidences of tribal rhetoric and political polarization in the country, stating that if the situation is not reversed, Kenya will become ethnically divided in a dangerous way.
Prof. Lumumba, while speaking at the third African Youth Leadership Forum held at Mount Kenya University, said that the return of ethnic-based politics and the rise of political tensions even though the next general election is two years away is a clear indication that the national discourse is in a bad state.
“The tribal narratives that we keep experiencing are like a bomb that is about to explode,” he warned. “Kenya is in a critical situation as regard to toxic identity politics which is the biggest hurdle to the solution of our people’s problems.”
He implored the political leaders to do away with ethnic mobilization and instead concentrate on issue-based politics that would help in uniting the nation, bringing in accountability, and accelerating development.
Besides that, Lumumba persuaded the youth to be the driving force in the transformation of political culture in Kenya and he emphasized that the future of the country is in the hands of the generation that is honest, patriotic, and just.
The forum that was attended by the young leaders from across the continent of Africa, was the focus on the development of the moral leadership model and the promotion of the Pan-African ethic among the continent’s youth who are destined to be the leaders of change.
