The National Council of Churches of Kenya, Central region, has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and their political allies to tone down their political rhetoric to avoid polarising the country.
In a statement, the clerics said their differences are personal and should not be passed on to Kenyans who deserve peaceful elections in August. They stated, that as the clergy, they can only seek ways of bringing the two leaders together even though, the church has, in the past tried to bring them together but failed.
“As church leaders, it is our considered opinion that differences between the duo are of personal nature and with that, we wonder why Kenyans are being involved. They should not polarise the nation,” Rev Cannon Joseph Njakai, Anglican Church.
They called on Kenyans to tolerate each other and uphold peace.
“We urge fellow Kenyans to remain sober and oppose any attempt to be manipulated by politicians, your preference for a certain candidate should be expressed on the ballot.” Rev Simon Njoroge
They pledged to pray for the country to remain peaceful before, during, and after the general elections. The men of the cloth, further said they will use their worship places to mobilize their members to turn out in large numbers and vote for their preferred candidate.
“We will undertake civic education among our congregants, volunteer to be monitors in the electoral process, undertake mediation where there could be divisions, vet those to be entrusted with the pulpit to prevent polarisation of our congregants.” Rev Simon Njoroge
The church leaders asked the Jubilee government to address the skyrocketing prices of food, saying that greed and corruption are the reason why most essential commodities are way above most Kenyans’ reach.
“Even when factors external to our country are blamed for those fluctuations, untamed government borrowing externally and in the domestic market is to blame,” the statement read.
The clergy promised to work with other players to undertake initiatives that will ensure peaceful, credible, and cohesive elections.
