A section of politicians from the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) Sunday told the military and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to keep out of politics.
This follows last week’s comments by Chief of Defence Forces General Charles Kahariri on the ‘Ruto must go’ campaign which Kenyan youth have sustained since last year’s protests against President William Ruto’s government.
The Director General of National Intelligence Service Noordin Haji organized the meeting where the remarks were made.
Gen Kahariri said the military will not condone unconstitutional overthrow of an elected government, as Haji decried what he called divisive politics and inflammatory rhetoric.
On the other side, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen defended the two security leaders saying they spoke on information in their hands.
“The two spoke based on information they have. If you want to remove someone wait until the elections are held and do that. We may end up having more refugee camps with such remarks,” warned Murkomen.
“Haji and Kahariri are speaking from information. They are warning you. The future of a country needs order.”
He said Kenya is a constitutional country.
On the other side, the leaders led by DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa who is a former defense CS and Bumula legislator Jack Wamboka, said the mandate of the two is well spelled out by the constitution.
“Just as politicians have accepted and respected the church, that we’ll not do politics in the pulpit, we want our security chiefs to keep politics off our security organs,” he said.
Wamalwa added that politics is a reserve for the politicians, and it creates a conflict when the latter abdicates its role of keeping safe our borders and starts to comment on political affairs.
“KDF has always been apolitical and has remained professional. We wouldn’t want the current CDF to do any less or descend into the political arena and undermine the respect of our defence forces,” the DAP-K leader said.
Wamboka told the security chiefs to keep off politics.
“Leave politics to us. Stay in the barracks and maintain the respect our military has always had,” he said.
They made the remarks at Magemo village during the burial of Joseph Nyongesa Buyela in Webuye.
The remarks by the military boss have elicited reactions from a section of Kenyans who feel they were out of order and out to intimidate many.
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