Nairobi businessmen support October 26 election

The Hood Group businessmen and professionals during a press conference led by the Chairman Nderitu Mwangi at the Intercontinental Hotel Nairobi Thursday 19 October 2017. (GEORGE ORIDO/STANDARD)

A consortium of businessmen said the country needs to do what it takes to guarantee peace and stability and have come strongly to support the October 26 repeat presidential election.

Speaking at a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel Thursday morning the Hood Group businessmen and professionals said violence and insecurity does not favour anyone no matter how one wishes to perceive it.

“We are in support of talks aimed at coming to some amicable solution to the impasse today’s (Thursday) proposed by IEBC Chairman, Wafual Chebukati,” said the group.

They said the political class in competition for the highest political office need to listen to the IEBC stressing it is the body mandated to run the elections.

Led by the chairman Nderitu Mwangi, the members expressed their fears that the economy has continued to suffer from the prolonged electioneering period.

“Businesses are making losses. Employees have been laid off. The cost of living is rising and if this situation does not change, then the economy may begin to collapse,” they warned.

Asked whether they could state how much they have lost during the past month, the business consortium explained they were still working in the figures but estimated it to go into billions of shillings.

They raised their concern about the demonstrations and picketing pronounced by the opposition adding it was the democratic right of all registered voters in Kenya to exercise their right to vote for a person of their choice.

“It is the right of voters that do not want to vote to abstain from voting, and it is equally the right of voters who will be making their way to the polling station to vote on that day to be allowed so without interference,” they said.

The group reiterated their proposal to both the national and county governments to designate special spaces such as car parks and stadia where picketing and demonstrations can be undertaken without interfering with businesses in the CBD.

“The right to picket and demonstrate must not be greater than the rights of businessmen in the CBD,” they said adding that the law must apply equally and in every situation.

Their wish is to have all Kenyans turning up for elections come the October 26 terming it as the only clear , legal, democratic and Constitutional solution that will get the country moving forward.

“We appeal to all good citizens of this country to rise u early in the morning on Election Day and in large numbers exercise their democratic right to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice,” they said.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, the IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebuklati said the current political situation did not augur well for a free, far and credible elections and urged the political protagonists, President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA Presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga to come on the discussion table to cool down the temperatures.

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