KENYA: Religious Leaders Call on Kenyans to “Walk the Talk of Peace” after Declaration of Presidential Results
Religious Leaders at Domun Dei
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Hours after the long awaited period of counting and tallying the General Elections’ results in Kenya ended after the Chairman of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced Dr. William Samoei Ruto as the President-Elect, Religious leaders from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) urged citizens to maintain peace and not cause tension or violence in the country.
Speaking at Donum Dei in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Monday, August 15, where the Faith leaders have been working collaboratively during the election period, the KCCB Chairman Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde told Kenyans to put into action that peace which people have been talking about all through the period of campaign until the final tally of the Presidential elections have been announced.
“We continue to encourage our people to walk the talk of peace,” Archbishop Kivuva of Mombasa Archdiocese highlighted and continued, “Every election doesn’t need to end up with ugly conflict and that is why we are here as bishops to promote that peace.”
As the Archbishop appreciated Kenyans for the peaceful elections on August 9, and for patiently waiting for the results, he condemned the chaos realized at Bomas of Kenya where the results were announced when some politicians blocked the IEBC chairman from making the announcement.
“We understand the pain of losing an election and we are together with you in this pain,” the KCCB chairman said addressing the message to politicians who did not win the elections adding that, “As we preached and talked to our people, we encourage acceptance of results and people to maintain that peace.”
The representative from the Muslim faith echoed Archbishop Kivuva’s message saying, “We appeal to those who did not manage to secure the positions they contested for, to accept the outcome and know there is a future for them.”
According to the representative of the Muslim Faith, Kenya is a democratic country hence he says, “In democracy the majority win and the minority have their say. In case someone is not adequately convinced of what has transpired the best is to use legal procedures.”
He further thanked Kenyans for their patience and for accommodating one another during and after the elections noting that the country has not recorded any major incidences of violence, and appealed to all saying, “Let us not burn our country, but be patient and accept what has happened.”
The IEBC chairman Mr. Wafula Chebukati, Dr. Ruto, the winner with 50.49% against the former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga with 48.85%.
