A section of members of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) in Murang’a County have called for tolerance and peaceful coexistence ahead of the August 9 general elections.
The interfaith members in the county on Tuesday met with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officers and the local groups in order to discuss how they will ensure the elections are done peacefully.
Led by ACK Mt. Kenya Central Diocese Bishop Rev Timothy Gichere, the clergy held prayers with the institutions where they called for credible elections and urged all stakeholders to uphold peace.
“We continue to encourage the different institutions to ensure all loopholes are done away with in preparations for the election so as to remove all possibility of chaos should people feel elections were not free and fair,” Gichere said.
“We must not allow politicians to break the bond we have as brothers and sisters as they seek various political seats,” he added.
The bishop urged various candidates to concentrate on selling their agenda to the people and stop attacking each other so that the county and the entire country can be peaceful.
Gichere called on the various candidates to respect each other’s ideologies even when they do not necessarily agree with them.
He however asked aspirants to stop making each other’s weaknesses their campaign tool but have their own agenda and manifesto of what they will do for the people if elected.
“No need for insults and attacking each other. Every candidate should concentrate on selling his or her manifesto instead of making personal attacks as a campaign agenda. Use of contemptuous language during campaigns is a recipe for chaos,” added Gichere.
The bishop said after elections life would continue and no need for hatred and enmity due to differing opinions about the elections.
His sentiments were echoed by the chairman of Evangelical Alliance of Kenya Bishop James Githaiga who asked Kenyans to ignore leaders who are promoting some social behaviour which are against Kenyan culture.
He noted promotion of bhang should be condemned and totally ignored as use of the drug may affect many young people.
Githaiga asked all church leaders to properly lead their congregation without dividing them on political lines saying as a church they serve all people from different political affiliations.
