A section of politicians from the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) have asked the military and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to keep out of politics.
This follows last week’s comments by NIS boss Noordin Haji and 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.
General Kahariri said the military will not condone unconstitutional overthrow of an elected government, as Haji decried what he called divisive politics and inflammatory rhetoric.
Led by DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa and Bumula legislator Jack Wamboka, they observed that 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 added: “Leave politics to us. Stay in the barracks and maintain the respect our military has always had.”
They made the remarks at Magemo village during the burial of Joseph Nyongesa Buyela in Webuye.
