Will Ruto act against Hassan Omar amid mounting pressure?
Those who know him say he had initially joined the military as a cadet but quit because he viewed its strict discipline rules as draconian.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Hassan Omar cut his teeth as a human rights crusader and reformer while studying law at Moi University where he served as chairman of the students’ body with Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang as Secretary General.
Those who know him say he had initially joined the military as a cadet but quit because he viewed its strict discipline rules as draconian.
He came into the national limelight when he called for the change of name of the university to Kesses University, saying being associated with then President Moi was a shame as he was an ‘academic dwarf.”
This caught the attention of the president who rebuked him when he landed at Eldoret Airport after a visit to Uganda.
Omar later led a massive strike that resulted in the closure of the institution for nine months.
During the strike, he ejected Dean of Students David Mureithi from his office which he turned into a command centre from where he, among others, updated media houses on its progress.
It earned him expulsion from the institution but the exit of Moi after the 2002 elections that brought Mwai Kibaki to power earned him a reprieve as the new leader extended an amnesty to students who had been expelled from their institutions during the previous era allowing him to return to Moi University to complete his studies.
Apart from serving as vice chairman of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), Mombasa Senator and now UDA SG and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member, Omar has previously strived to promote democratic governance, particularly through his work as a founder and board member of the Muslim Consultative Council and the Muungano wa Mageuzi (Movement for Change) lobby group.
However, he is currently in the eye of the storm over his recent declaration that outsiders who grabbed land at the Coast will be evicted and especially by singling out the Kikuyu community as the main culprit, calling them neo-colonialists.
Though he later rendered an apology, saying his remarks had been misinterpreted has not worked.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has confirmed it has launched a formal investigation on him even as various leaders, including those from UDA, have sustained condemnation of his remarks, which they warn could plunge the country into chaos reminiscent of those witnessed in 2007.
UDA MPs from Mt Kenya have threatened to petition President William Ruto, who is the party leader, to remove him from the position if he does not resign, saying his remarks have their efforts to campaign for him in the region and even their own re-election prospects.
Political analysts have, however, noted that Ruto, in who presence Omar made the remarks at a function in Mombasa, has remained mute on the issue neither did he reprimand him with some suggesting it could imply quiet endorsement.
The Mt Kenya region gave Ruto more than three million votes in the 2022 elections but the ouster of Rigathi Gachagua as his deputy in 2024 has sparked a revolt that could derail his re-election bid.
The president has severally condemned Gachagua of only pushing Mt Kenya’s interests while the latter accuses him of neglecting the region and instead diverting development projects to other regions where he has found new allies.
Those close to the president, including his personal aide Farouk Kibet, have only targeted the Kikuyu community, calling its leaders “watu wa roho chafu.”
The million-dollar question is: Will Ruto act against Omar or will he risk entirely losing support in Mt Kenya?
