A section of religious leaders from various denominations in Murang’a County have urged the government to speed up the process of reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Committee (IEBC).
The clerics allied to the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims on Wednesday argued that the absence of a functioning electoral body has left some constituencies and wards unrepresented.
Coalescing under a lobby dubbed Mulika Initiative, the clergy expressed concerns about the apparent delay in reconstituting IEBC yet registration of new voters should be taking place.
The facilitator of Mulika Initiative George Biruri, noted that since March this year, voter registration has stalled, leaving a majority of young people unable to register.
“We urge Parliament to act with speed and make sure that we have IEBC in place because we want the youth to be registered as voters and we also want the boundaries of electoral units set and reviewed as well as assigning names to new units,” he said.
Biruri also cautioned political leaders against making divisive remarks, noting that their speeches can stir mayhem in the country.
He called for peaceful engagements on matters touching national interest and urged leaders to exercise tolerance by holding divergent opnions without inciting hatred.
“The government should make sure that political leaders do not disrupt peace in the society during public events,” he said, further calling on the leaders to stop their early campaigns and instead choose to work for the electorate.
Alhajj Shaban from the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, warned state officials against sidelining religious leaders, saying they should collaborate to foster unity.
He called for a national dialogue conference to resolve tensions between religious institutions and the state.
“The President should invite all religious leaders for a national conference where differences between the state and religious leaders should be resolved to promote peace and cohesion in the country,” he advised.
The meeting that was also attended by scores of youth, identified alcoholism and unemployment as key issues facing the country.
Monica Kimani, a youth representative from Kigumo Sub County, highlighted that some alcohol outlets in rural areas are operating round the clock while selling counterfeit products.
She urged national and county governments to intensify efforts to curb the sale of illicit and substandard alcoholic products; and trafficking of drugs like bhang.
– By Bernard Munyao & Anjilwa Francis, KNA
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