Editor,

I seek to illuminate New Times readers on the rumours being peddled by the BBC about ethnic communities in Kenya ‘supposedly’ arming themselves in readiness for further chaos in the forthcoming general elections of 2021.

These rumours are a result of the legal actions being taken against those that organised the violence in 2007.

The BBC reported that the arming of the populace was a result of politicians attempting to reclaim their stranglehold of their tribes to the same pre-election levels; hence creating the scenario that the prosecution of these politicians will look like tribal vendettas.

However, despite the reports, there is no credible intelligence that validates these claims.

There isn’t any deliberate and large-scale re-arming of communities in the Rift valley. What is certainly clear is that the horrible experience of 2007 has left credible distrust in Central Government to provide effective security leading to an increase in illegal possession of arms on individual levels.

Let us stop this mindless "headlines-rush” that gives certain interests their raisons d’etre.

Tom Marrinka
Nairobi, Kenya,
somoinaa@gmail.com