A group of lawmakers from Uasin Gishu County has urged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to refrain from revisiting the painful memories of the 2007-2008 post-election violence.
The leaders emphasized that Kenya has made significant strides in healing and unity, and such statements risk reigniting ethnic tensions.
Speaking at a church fundraiser in Kesses, Soy MP David Kiplagat and Moiben MP Phyllis Bartoo condemned Gachagua’s recent remarks during a KTN News interview, where he compared the April 6 attack at PCEA Kasarani Church to the infamous Kiambaa church tragedy. In the 2007 violence, over 30 people were killed when the Kiambaa church was set ablaze.
“We have all made a conscious decision to move past the horrors of 2007-2008. No one wants to be reminded of that dark chapter,” Kiplagat stated.
Bartoo added, “Those of us who lived in Uasin Gishu during that period avoid even mentioning Kiambaa. We coexist peacefully across all communities here. Let us not be dragged back into tribal divisions.”
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In his interview, Gachagua expressed that the recent church invasion stirred painful memories from the past. “What happened yesterday has sent a chilling message to Mt. Kenya residents. It reminds them of the same impunity that led to the Kiambaa tragedy,” he said. “When you send thugs into a church targeting me and Christians, you evoke deep-seated wounds that had begun to heal.”
The April 6 incident involved a group of unidentified individuals who disrupted a service at PCEA Kasarani shortly before Gachagua was scheduled to attend, raising security concerns and drawing widespread condemnation.
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