Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i has backed calls by church leaders for peaceful and respectful political campaigns, warning Kenyan leaders against tribal rhetoric, intimidation and violence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The former Interior Cabinet Secretary said political competition should not be treated as a matter of life and death, urging politicians to put the stability of the country above individual political ambitions.
Matiang’i made the remarks in a video shared on his X account on Monday, September 7, in which he endorsed a call by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Catholic bishops and the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya for peaceful political engagement.
The former CS said he would be among the first political leaders to comply with the guidance issued by religious leaders.
He called on politicians to conduct campaigns without provoking ethnic tensions or violence.
“Let us conduct peaceful campaigns, campaigns based on respect, and let us focus on the stability of our country,” he said.
“There is no tribe; the tribe here is called Kenya. We are all Kenyans,” he added.
His comments come days after religious and other stakeholders met in Nairobi for a two-day National Stakeholders Convention on the 2027 elections.
The meeting, held at Ufungamano House from September 2 to 3, brought together representatives from six umbrella religious institutions, seven constitutional agencies, five professional bodies and 21 civil society organisations.
The stakeholders warned that anxiety and political tension were rising about 11 months before the election, citing Kenya’s history of election-related violence in 1997, 2007 and 2017.
Kenya's history has provided a stark warning about the consequences of political and ethnic mobilisation.
The 2007-08 post-election violence left about 1,300 people dead and displaced more than 650,000, according to United Nations data.
The 2017 election period also recorded more than 100 casualties, while the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights documented 99 deaths during that election cycle. By comparison, its monitoring of the 2022 elections recorded seven deaths, including three during the campaign period and four during and after the polls.
Religious leaders have therefore intensified calls for political restraint as preparations for the 2027 polls gather pace.
NCCK said the recent stakeholders' convention identified political violence and youth exploitation, institutional capture, opaque campaign financing, misinformation, ethnic polarisation and exclusion of groups from leadership as key risks to the electoral cycle.
The church leaders have also raised concerns about the monetisation of politics, saying rising political tension could undermine the credibility of the elections.
Matiang’i's intervention places him among political leaders publicly endorsing the religious leaders' peace appeal.
He urged politicians to respect one another and avoid rhetoric that could endanger citizens, insisting that political positions should never come at the expense of Kenyan lives.
As the 2027 election approaches, the appeal is likely to increase pressure on political leaders, religious institutions and electoral bodies to prevent a repeat of the violence that has previously accompanied Kenya's closely contested elections.