“Leave Rift Valley and Return After Elections”: Uasin Gishu Leaders Demand Action Against UDA MP Joseph Wainaina

Leaders in Uasin Gishu County, led by politician Harun Maina, have called for action against nominated UDA MP Joseph Wainaina Iraya over remarks they say risk inflaming ethnic tensions and dividing communities in the Rift Valley.

The leaders want the UDA leadership and relevant state institutions to scrutinise Wainaina’s remarks, arguing that the statements crossed the line from political mobilisation into rhetoric capable of creating fear and suspicion among communities that have lived together in the region for decades.

The controversy follows remarks attributed to Wainaina in a video circulating online in which he addressed members of his community in Kapseret. He later spoke at an interdenominational church service at Kipsamoo in Kapseret Constituency, attended by several leaders, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

Wainaina’s ‘Two-Term’ Message Sparks Outrage

In the remarks, Wainaina called on members of his community in the Rift Valley to remain united behind President William Ruto’s two-term bid, while appearing to warn those opposed to the political arrangement that they should temporarily leave the region.

“If you do not want the two-term arrangement here, leave peacefully and come back after we finish the election,” Wainaina is heard saying.

He further contrasted political positions in the Rift Valley and Central Kenya, saying:

“We will separate ourselves from those who are saying one term in Central Kenya because we are two-term people.”

The remarks have triggered concern among local leaders, who argue that political allegiance should never determine a Kenyan’s right to live, work or conduct business anywhere in the country.

Harun Maina Demands Action

Reacting to the remarks, politician and Huruma Ward aspirant Harun Maina accused Wainaina of creating unnecessary fear and tension through his political messaging.

“The remarks by Wainaina have created tension and fear. We are asking ourselves what kind of leader this is whom the President gave us as a community, yet today he says he will have a voice to divide our community,” Maina said.

Maina particularly objected to Wainaina’s suggestion that people who do not support the two-term agenda should leave the Rift Valley until after the elections.

He argued that such statements could create an impression that political differences may trigger conflict and force some people to flee the region.

“You are saying that some people will leave this place. Whether you were sent to say that or you decided to say it yourself, it means you are planning for division and creating an impression that there will be conflict so that people can leave the Rift Valley,” Maina said.

‘We Have Built This Region Together’

Maina insisted that the Rift Valley belongs to all Kenyans and that communities living in the region have developed strong social and economic ties over the years.

“Our communities have no problem with the people living here. We have lived together. We work together and have built this region together. We cannot allow political statements to divide us,” he said.

He urged political leaders to separate electoral competition from ethnic identity, warning against attempts to portray particular communities as outsiders based on their political choices.

Leaders Invoke 1992, 1997 and 2007

The leaders also expressed concern over Wainaina’s references to the violence associated with previous election periods, including 1992, 1997 and 2007.

Wainaina himself called for unity and peace among his community, saying the country should not repeat the problems witnessed during previous elections.

However, critics argue that references to the region's painful political history should reinforce calls for peace rather than be accompanied by rhetoric that could heighten fear among communities.

Maina said residents of the Rift Valley were determined to protect the peace that has enabled different communities to settle, work and prosper together.

Call to NCIC and President Ruto

Maina called on President Ruto to intervene and urged relevant institutions to investigate Wainaina’s remarks.

He also called for Wainaina to be removed from any special government or political role he holds if his remarks are found to breach the standards expected of a national leader.

“We are giving President William Ruto an ultimatum: Wainaina should be removed as a special envoy if that is the position he holds. We have seen what he is planning and we cannot remain silent,” Maina said.

He further called on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to examine the remarks and determine whether they could amount to hate speech, ethnic discrimination or incitement under Kenyan law.

“I am asking the NCIC, where is it? This leader must be held accountable for his remarks,” Maina said.

Calls for Calm as 2027 Politics Intensifies

The controversy comes as political activity gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 General Election, with leaders increasingly mobilising support around competing political positions and alliances.

The Uasin Gishu leaders urged political parties and politicians to exercise restraint and avoid rhetoric that could reopen old ethnic wounds.

They maintained that political competition should not determine who belongs in a particular region, saying Kenyans must remain free to live and work anywhere regardless of their political affiliations.

The debate over Wainaina’s “two-term” versus “one-term” remarks has now become a fresh flashpoint in Uasin Gishu, with local leaders demanding accountability while urging residents to reject ethnic division and protect the peace that has prevailed in the region.