KENYA: “Resume Normal Life,” Faith Leaders Urge Kenyans after General Elections
Religious Leaders
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Days after the 9 August poll, Faith leaders from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) have commended the citizens of Kenyans for conducting themselves “honorably during the campaign period and on the polling day,” urging them to move on with their normal life after the elections.
In their collective message delivered Saturday, August 13, before announcement of the new Head of State, Religious leaders as they urge Kenyan’s to refrain from violence or acts that may provoke tension in the country said, “We call upon all Kenyans to resume normal life.”
“We must not allow fear and anxiety to build and cause elections to once again destroy the national peace and cohesion we have worked so hard to build,” the Religious representatives said in the statement signed the KCCB Chairman for Catholic Justice and Peace Department Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong Diocese and NCCK General Secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui.
They added referencing the gospel of Mathew the Apostle, “We especially urge all of us to desist from consuming and sending messages that provoke hate, fear and anxiety on social media, (and) seek to be a nation where we speak truth in love to each other, just as the Bible inspires us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In their Saturday message delivered at Donum Dei in Nairobi, the Faith leaders appreciated the political aspirants who have publicly accepted the will of the people and conceded when they did not win the positions they were seeking noting that, “It is a beacon of hope that our democracy has matured.”
“We encourage the citizens to follow this trend of peacefully managing the disappointment that comes when your preferred candidate is not declared the winner,” reads part of the statement as it continues, “For candidates who feel dissatisfied, kindly seek justice in the courts of law.”
In conclusion the Religious representatives encouraged all of Kenyans “to maintain peace, exercise patience, and communicate truth to one another.”
“As we remain committed to pray for peace and cohesion in our nation,” they said, “We invite all of Kenyans to join in prayer, individually and corporately, continually reciting the words of our National Anthem: Oh God of all creation, bless this our land and nation, justice be our shield and defender, may we dwell in unity, peace and liberty, plenty be found within our borders.”
