Businessmen and professionals form the Hood Group consortium have sent message of congratulations to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy President William Ruto for their reelection for a second term in office.
At the same time they have called on all Kenyans of goodwill to put behind the elections behind them and focus on building the nation together.
“The country has experienced a few days of uncertainty during the Presidential election case that was the Supreme Court. However, we are glad that it delivered their final ruling upholding the re-election of the President and his Deputy,” they said.
Speaking at the Laico Regency Hotel and Nairobi, the businessmen and professionals observed that it was unfortunate that the country keep losing valuable time every election year in protracted campaigns and jostling.
“The business fraternity has lost billions of shillings during the period of political uncertainty,” they said in a statement read by the Chairman Nderitu Mwangi adding citing subdued foreign direct investments as such a case.
Calling for stability the businessmen urged all Kenyans to play to the rules and uphold the Constitution at all times.
Mr Nderitu said it is time for people to understand that political competition does not have to end up in violence.
“When people compete for political power, there has to be a winner. Those who don’t win always have a chance to try again the next time,” they encouraged.
Kenyans must look for better ways of conducting elections in such a way that there is little if any, interference with business, added the statement.
“We therefore appeal to all Kenyans to come together as brothers and sisters to promote peaceful co-existence as we have done over the years since independence,” pleaded the new Sheriffs in town.
They called on the authorities to punish all those who committed atrocities against fellow Kenyans stressing it is the only way to make sure order prevails in the country.
“This will start the national healing process in a manner that will enable affected victims to seek justice and restitution,” they said.
Wanton destruction of property, loss of lives, sporadic looting, ethnic profiling and use of abusive language I public all in the name of advancing political interest must come to an end, they stressed.
The Hood Group professionals is a relatively new outfit made of businessmen across the county who came together during the challenging electioneering time to add voice to the national discourse on public affairs.
They had earlier proposed the establishment of special zones in the city for picketing in way that both the rights of protesters to freedom of expression as well as that of businessmen to trade are guaranteed.