Leaders in Kilifi County have called on politicians to desist from acts and utterances that could plunge the country into anarchy.
Led by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and gubernatorial candidate Michael Tinga, the leaders urged politicians not to hijack the ongoing war of words between the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Speaking in separate occasions Wednesday, Kingi and Tinga urged politicians to leave the IEBC to discharge its mandate instead of politicising its operations barely two weeks before the August 9, 2022 General Election.
They urged politicians to let IEBC conduct its affairs without interference saying casting aspersions at the integrity of the electoral body could make it lose the confidence of Kenyans and thereby compromise the integrity of the entire process
Kingi, who was speaking during the launch of the Kilifi County Spatial Plan at the Lands offices in Kilifi Town said the current altercations had the potential of causing chaos like the ones witnessed in the 2017 General Election.
“Trouble starts brewing when politicians start acting like IEBC. Let us let IEBC do its work because the moment we start interfering with the functions and mandate of IEBC, that is when trouble starts,” he said.
The governor said that the moment politicians start questioning the integrity of IEBC and poking holes on its operations, they are courting a catastrophe noting that if politicians do not trust IEBC their followers will follow suit.
“Let us learn from the painful period that this country went through in 2007. As politicians, lets stick to our politics and leave the managers of the elections to do their work,” he said.
On his part, Tinga, who was launching his manifesto, urged politicians to have high levels of discipline in order for peace to prevail before, during and after the polls.
“We have seen the IEBC and DCI fighting on social media. We do not know who is right, but we ask for peace because Kenya is bigger than an individual,” said Tinga.
Similar sentiments were made by religious leaders led by the chairman of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) in Kilifi County, Bishop Alfred Magambo and an NCCK official, Rev Harrison Shikuku.
Speaking during a workshop on election preparations for religious leaders, the clergymen said every Kenyan had a right to elect their leaders of choice hence the need for peaceful elections.
