Over the past month, Kisii Party representative Dorice Aburi has fallen victim to public intolerance, a phenomenon that must be condemned.

Firstly, it happened at a certain function in Keroka where a section of the audience started heckling her, forcing her to stop speaking after President William Ruto invited her to greet them.

A few days ago, an event she organized to donate wheelchairs to disabled residents was interrupted by armed gangs.

The incident occurred in Nyakeyo, South Mugirango. Hired thugs armed with primitive weapons broke into the premises and attacked guests and villagers, driving them away. A journalist covering the event was also beaten.

A few months ago, Ms. Aburi found herself on the receiving end of another attack when a funeral she attended with other leaders descended into chaos and her official car was pelted with stones, leaving her a target once again.

She blames her torment on other elected leaders with whom she claims she has fallen out politically. Law enforcement owes it to the woman’s representative and peaceful members of society to explain why Aburi continues to be the target of such hostility.

Thuggery directed against any elected leader deserves condemnation from other leaders as well as legal action by law enforcement agencies.

Whenever a case of political banditry arises, police chiefs promise to take action, but it is rare for suspects to be charged.

Like in previous chaotic scenarios, the police announced action against those who planned and carried out the horrific incident in Nyakeyo.

Several suspects are said to have already been detained, but residents will only be able to rest in peace when all of them are brought to justice, including the leader (if there is one) who financed this chaos.

Political intolerance is bad, but it is primitive when its target is a female leader.

It cannot be that the thugs who prevented the woman’s representative from peacefully carrying out her duties do so without external assistance/coordination.

It is against African culture for someone to call together members of society and order them to act as another leader, preventing him from speaking to his constituents.

If someone is dissatisfied with the aforementioned leader, the best and civilized solution would be to isolate her and wait until she is on the candidate list in the next elections.

Intolerance breeds separation, misunderstanding, and even hostility between political groups. Elected leaders who belong to different formations should respect each other and, if possible, create a space for discussion of any differences between them.

The leaders of the Gusii region belong to either Raila Odinga’s ODM or President Ruto’s UDA, rival factions that have already found common ground in the territorial government.

It is beyond comprehension how the national leaders of ODM and UDA led by Raila Odinga and Dr Ruto can work together while their grassroots supporters continue to play tricks on each other.

The national brotherhood between the president and the leader of the opposition must be replicated at the grassroots level. Political intolerance discourages a common critical focus on the interests of the community and must be discouraged. Democracy flourishes when people respect each other.

Mr. Omanga is a media practitioner. (email protected)