Ruto must rein in lynch mobs

President-elect William Ruto may be putting on a show of magnanimity in victory but his rabid mouthpieces on the political platform and social media spaces are, apparently, detailed to read from different scripts.

During the campaigns, the Kenya Kwanza campaign rallies were notable for unbridled anger and bile directed at almost any entities that were identified as obstacles to the alliance leader’s presidential pursuits. Particular broadsides were reserved for his main rival Raila Odinga and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, who had ditched his deputy of two terms to throw his weight behind the veteran opposition leader.

Generous dollops of diatribe were also aimed at specific Cabinet Secretaries and other senior government officials fingered as main players in the mythical ‘Deep State’ supposedly out to derail Dr Ruto’s ascendancy. Then there was the venom reserved for media, opinion pollsters, civil society and any others groupings that didn’t constantly echo the approved songs of praise.

Once Deputy President Ruto was declared President-elect by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati six days after the August 9 poll, he started becoming presidential. The anger dissipated, and so did the threats to go after real and imagined enemies. He publicly issued assurances that nobody, including President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, should have anything to fear as he would not be vengeful.

It’s apparent now that Dr Ruto’s minions either didn’t get the memo or the assurances were not genuine. Over the past few days, a number of video clips featuring Dr Ruto’s trusted attack dogs issuing threats and retribution have gone viral.

The likes of freshly re-elected National Assembly members Oscar Sudi and Ndindi Nyoro threatening mid-level government functionaries with dismissal, for instance, reflects very badly on the kind of administration gearing up to take office.

Having been in leadership all his public life, the President-elect knows very well that government officers must be insulated from political pressure and, specifically, must be protected from excitable politicians who don’t know their boundaries.

The President-elect has himself given public assurances that government officers, and specifically the administrative cadre of regional and county commissioners, will do their work professionally and not engage in political work or be under the command of political actors.

Protected from politicians

It should follow, then, that the officers are protected from loud-mouthed politicians. It should also follow that, where there are officers who have flouted the Public Service Code of Ethics by engaging in politics, they will be dealt with under the established disciplinary mechanisms—not be subjected to kangaroo courts, where politicians arrogate to themselves the role of accuser, prosecutor and judge with the accused denied all rights to a fair hearing.

Other than the threats coming out of post-election campaign rallies, we also see some curious activity on Dr Ruto’s social media propaganda outfit. The so-called Hustler Nation Intelligence Bureau is issuing threats—swiftly echoed by his keyboard warriors—to managers of select state corporations against going forward with certain business. Particularly targeted has been the energy sector, which has long been a playground of corruption cartels.

Even if there is something untoward about some pending procurement, Dr Ruto now has at his disposal the necessary means of communicating his reservations. Detailing the task to social media bullies sends the wrong signal and itself indicates something untoward, as in competing cartels angling for their share of the loot.

Political lynch mobs

The era of governance by roadside declarations and political lynch mobs, and the modern-day equivalent in social media gangsterism, ended with Daniel arap Moi’s presidency entailing one-party dictatorship. That is the kind of government Dr Ruto would not want to recreate or emulate.

There may well be a reason for anger, even desperation, within Kenya Kwanza that Dr Ruto’s ascension has been delayed by Mr Odinga’s Supreme Court petition challenging the election outcome. However, political rally histrionics and social media rants serve absolutely no purpose in terms of countering the petition.

The same advisory would apply to Mr Odinga, who is similarly prosecuting his case as if the affidavits filed in court need to be buttressed by public agitation.

In the meantime, unless the poll results are over-turned, Dr Ruto is the president-in-waiting and must conduct himself as such. He should be busy crafting the kind of government he needs so as to deliver on his election promises, not unleashing politicians and bloggers to issue threats left, right and centre even before he assumes office.

And even if he is eventually sworn in, Dr Ruto must make it clear that his government will not be run by lynch mobs.

[email protected]; www.gaitho.co.ke. @MachariaGaitho