We are moving fast into the election season. As such everyone is positioning themselves for the battle.

Kameme FM, an outfit owned by President Uhuru Kenyatta is facing criticism for it's on air campaign asking it's listeners to register and vote to protect "Uthamaki" (the kingdom). And this is only possible if "rûrîrî" (the community) voted overwhelmingly for the current Jubilee government.

A former journalist has come out to castigate the station for airing such a skewed campaign that many have called "tribalistic".

Wahume Thuku wrote on his Facebook, "MY favorite radio station Kameme FM has started it. Mobilizing rûrîrî to register as voters enmass. That is very very good.

To start with, I always make it my business to republish/interpret what Kameme broadcasts because its a national radio station on national frequency. The thinking that what it broadcasts should be a secret for "in-house" (nyumba) consumption is total rubbish so don't even introduce it. I am way way way above such backstreet mentality. Radio broadcasts are for entire public ears. That's why Joshua Sang found himself at The Hague despite using Kalenjin language on Kass.

Back to Kameme, the campaign is for rûrîrî to register in numbers (in their words) "kûrangîra ûthamaki" (to guard the kingship).

No problem with that at all. Of course, the station has already taken that Jubilee/Uhuru position so it has no business castigating SK Macharia for taking the position opposite. As a media professional I always argue that media houses in Kenya should take sides and not be the pretentious watermelons they are. Even this (my) media house will take a position after March.

However if Kameme would like to convince me its neutral, it should not be tagging registration of "Gîkûyû" voters to guarding of the kingship. The two are different. And don't even tell me other stations in Western or Coast or Rift Valley are doing the same, its all nonsense. The assumption/imagination that any Kikuyu who goes to register as voter will be so doing to defend the king is simplistic and cheap to say the least. Just tell people to register to exercise their democratic right to vote the best leader of their choice and leave it there. Alternatively, make the broadcasts in English and Kiswahili and then mobilize all Jubilee supported countrywide (Kikuyu's, Luhya, Luo, Kamba,....Kisii) to register in numbers and defend the king. Im sure "Mûthamaki" needs more votes from outside than he needs from Rûrîrî. Anything else by Kameme FM is myopic tribalism."

There were varied reactions to this, with many calling Wahome Thuku a "Judas" and traitor for translating the details of the campaign to the non-Kikuyu-speaking masses online.

Dickson Kingori You should also interpret to us what Ramogi n Musyi FM are broadcasting coz I haven't seen their tribesmen doing it. However, there was a term "Muthigani wa ruriri" and you can be good at it.

Ithe Wa Liam I got no apologies for registering to vote for Uhuru. No matter how some ppl try to villify me for that, they can as well sit on a pin!

Philip Gitau My fellow Kikuyus must realise that domination never last. We must learn to coexist peacefully with other Kenyans. Adolf Hitler had the same mentality that all other races apart from the Germans were inferior. The Roman, Norwegian, Mayan, Portuguese, Parthian, Ottoman and all other empires used to believe that they were immortal but history taught them otherwise. Lets us all stop this tribal bigotry and build a nation called Kenya where no one is too rich to be carefree nor too poor to be on welfare.

Another media personality also added their voice to the criticism of the station's campaign.

Ciku Muiriuki wrote, "This one I have to speak on, and if I'm called a traitor, so be it. A certain vernacular station is running ads urging its listenership to register as voters en masse in order "kurangira uthamaki" (defend the kingship). What tribalist garbage is this? Shouldn't people register simply because it's their civic right? Let me tell you...as a member of said community, I will not be defending any uthamaki because it's not mine. I'm a broke, job hunting Kenyan. The only thing I should defend is my WIFI password and my taxes from being looted. All else is folly. Ati kurangira uthamaki. Uyu akiri urimu. Pu."