NAIROBI,Kenya, Aug 15- The Government has assured Kenyans that the country’s next elections will be peaceful and free, while warning political leaders against using ethnicity, religion and regional identities to divide voters as the new electoral cycle gathers pace.
Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo said the Government would ensure Kenyans freely choose their leaders without coercion or intimidation, urging politicians to put national unity ahead of political interests.
Speaking during an education support event in Kajiado Central, Omollo called on political leaders and other players to conduct their campaigns responsibly and respect the electorate.
The PS also challenged young Kenyans to reject ethnic and regional politics and embrace a national identity.
“You may come from Kajiado, but you are Kenyans. When you go to school, do not see yourself only as Maasai, Kikuyu, Luo or Muslim. See yourself as a Kenyan and pursue the greater ideal of building the Republic we all aspire to,” he said.
Omollo said the country’s political conversation should focus on the future and the issues affecting citizens rather than ethnic mobilisation.
He urged Kenyans to participate in discussions on the country’s development beyond 2032, particularly on education, healthcare, infrastructure and livelihoods.
“Every community,” he said, must feel included in national progress and efforts to improve citizens’ livelihoods.
The Government’s assurance comes as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election, with politicians and their allies increasingly positioning themselves for the contest.
Omollo said the Government’s priority was to create an environment in which citizens could exercise their democratic rights without fear or intimidation.
He further linked peaceful elections to a broader need for national cohesion, saying the country could only achieve sustainable development if communities felt included in national affairs.
The PS also used the event to highlight education as a key tool for reducing inequality, describing it as the country’s “greatest equaliser.”
He said the Government had allocated more than KSh780 billion to education in the current budget, alongside the recruitment of more than 100,000 teachers and construction of about 28,000 classrooms nationwide.
Omollo said reforms to higher-education financing were also being pursued to ensure students can pursue their preferred courses regardless of their families’ financial circumstances.
In Kajiado, he said about 90 per cent of learners had successfully transitioned to junior or senior school, with the Government working with education officials, chiefs, assistant chiefs, village elders, teachers and parents to achieve a 100 per cent transition rate.
“No child should be excluded from education because of where they come from or their family circumstances,” he said.
Omollo also announced efforts to bring government services closer to residents through additional administrative units.
He welcomed the removal of additional vetting requirements that had previously affected residents of border counties, including Kajiado, when seeking national identity cards.
Eligible residents were encouraged to visit chiefs, assistant chiefs and registration officials to obtain identification documents and register as voters.
The PS said accurate population and voter registration data was also crucial to ensuring equitable allocation of resources across the country.
On healthcare, Omollo said approximately 65 per cent of Kajiado residents had registered with the Social Health Authority and urged the remaining residents to enrol to improve access to healthcare services.
He said the Government would continue supporting education initiatives in Kajiado Central to ensure learners in the county receive opportunities comparable to those available elsewhere in Kenya.
“Our objective is to build a cohesive and inclusive society in which every Kenyan has access to education, healthcare, infrastructure and government services, regardless of where they come from,” Omollo said.
The event was attended by Senate Majority Leader and Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, Personal Assistant to the President Farouk Teigut Kibet, Kajiado East MP Hamisi Kakuta Maimai, Kajiado Woman Representative Leah Sopiato Sankaire, Public Service Commission Chairperson Francis Meja, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed and Principal Secretary for Irrigation Ephantus Kimotho Kimani.
