Peaceful country overrides credible electoral process, say religious leaders

Religious leaders now say that peaceful co-existence after the August polls overrides a free and fair election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) being rooted for by politicians.

Both the National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) advised that even as political competitors demand a credible election from IEBC, they must rally their supporters towards ensuring peace despite the outcome of the poll.

SUPKEM Secretary General Adan Wachu said they have been rallying Muslim clerics to advise their flock that any dispute that may arise from the August 8 polls should only be challenged in courts.

"The message we are telling all Muslims is that their constitutional duty is to turn up in their numbers to vote and head home to await the results. If they are dissatisfied with the results then we are asking them to go to court, and the decisions of the court must be respected," said Wachu.

NCCK's Deputy Secretary General Dr Nelson Makanda said the inter-religious group were on a mission of preparing Kenyans towards ensuring that despite the outcome of the elections, they remained peaceful.

He told the delegates who were attending the Legislative Summit that ended on Thursday that focus should mainly be on a peaceful process, even if the electoral body does not, for whatever reason, return a credible process.

"We are demanding that IEBC must return a free and fair election, but we must all agree that the country's peaceful co-existence after the elections is more important than a credible process. We want Kenyans to remain peaceful no matter what happens after the polls," said Dr Makanda.

The NCCK leader said lessons must be learnt from the Libya experience where former President Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was executed in the guise of ensuring democracy and good governance, only for the country to be plunged into anarchy and violence.

"We would rather have a dictator for a leader but have a peaceful country. Gaddafi was sacrificed but the result now is a violent Libya. A credible election is good but a peaceful country is much better," he said.

The chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Francis Kaparo urged youth's against being misled into violence during the electioneering period, even as he maintained that his body was determined to ensure that cohesion is maintained before and after the polls.

"We have partnered with other players and formed a multi-agency team that brings together the Director of Public Prosecution, IEBC, and the Judiciary to ensure that the national fabric remains intact even as politicians engage in cut-throat competition," Kaparo said.

Speaking during the forum IEBC Commissioner Margaret Mwachanya reiterated the electoral body's determination to ensure a credible process, even as she called on organs of security to deal with the sporadic conflicts emerging in some parts of the country and which could affect the process.

"There are also the threats by Al-Shabaab that they could disrupt the elections, such chilling messages do not go well with Kenyans and security enforcers must partner with the Commission in assuring the voters of a free and fair process," she said.

Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe asked political players to stop impeding the electoral body's preparations, saying further delays in meeting set timelines could affect the return of the polls.

"IEBC now needs everybody's support, not the numerous litigations we are seeing in courts that are likely to derail them and impede the electoral process," said Kiraihe.