By Chris Wamalwa in USA
Kenyan ambassador to the US, Elkanah Odembo is set to officially launch a pre election peace campaign among Kenyans living in the US.
The Diaspora Kenyans for Free, Fair and Peaceful Elections campaign targets about 90 per cent of Kenyans living in the US and Canada and it will be launched on Thursday, April 12, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ambassador Elkanah Odembo welcomed by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick during their recent meeting at State House in Massachusetts [Photo: Chris Wamalwa/Standard]
This will be during an official dinner party with Kenyaâs elite team of marathon runners that will participate in this yearâs Boston Marathon. The dinner party hosted to honour Kenyan athletes is organised and supported by the Kenyan embassy, Kenya Diaspora Advisory Council of New England, Run with Kenyans and Diaspora Voice.
Boston Marathon will take place on Monday, April 16, 2012.
From Boston, Massachusetts, the campaign will, during this coming summer move on to other cities and states that have a significant number of Kenyans.
Briefing the Standard on the campaign, Odembo said it would be tragic for Kenyans both at home and abroad to assume that there will be peace before and after the much-anticipated general elections. "In a polarized country like Kenya right now, we canât just hope and assume that there will be peace. After all, there are already tell tale signs that there could be big trouble if we donât act decisively to forestall such an eventuality," he said.
He said the campaign that will involve those willing to maintain peace during this electioneering period, signing a pre-polls pledge committing them to maintaining peace and advocating for free, fair and peaceful elections.
At the end of the campaign, the signed pledge will then be submitted to the Government and the Kenya National Cohesion and Integration Commission before elections. He said this would, in part be in honor of Mary Onyango, a member of the cohesion commission who passed away recently.
"Mary Onyangoâs death is big blow to Kenyaâs efforts to build a cohesive society. I was on phone with her days before she passed on and in fact we were planning a cohesion road show in America," he said.
