Catholic Church wants Uhuru-Ruto ceasefire for 'peaceful' polls
Meru Bishop Salesius Mugambi blesses the faithful of Christ the King, Kithima parish on July 10, 2022 after administering sacrament of confirmation to 92 faithful. He later read a statement by the Kenya conference of Catholic Bishops, where the church hit out at the continued spat between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, saying it could derail the quest for peace ahead of August 9th polls.
The Catholic Church is concerned over continued spat between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto saying their public war-of-words could derail the quest for peace.
Through the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Church said it was important for the two to exercise restraint to ensure Kenyans followed their example as the August 9 General Election approached.
In a speech read by Meru Bishop Salesius Mugambi, the prelates said it was important for every Kenyan to follow the rule of law for peaceful polls.
Speaking at Christ the King Kithima Parish where he administered the sacrament of confirmation to 92 faithful, bishop Mugambi said public disagreements between the two had left the church appalled.
He however said it was not possible to reconcile President Kenyatta and Dr Ruto until after the elections since each of them had taken a political stand.
Bishop Mugambi, however, urged Kenyans to ignore their public display in their fall out and focus on ensuring the country had peaceful elections and transition.
Meru Bishop Salesius Mugambi (left) confers with Fr Peter Mutwiri before reading a statement by Kenya conference of Catholic Bishops outside Christ the King, Kithima parish on July 10, 2022, where the church hit out at the continued spat between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, saying it could derail quest for peace ahead of August 9th polls.
“That is just a sign of how bad things are. We need to have courage. These are just passing things. Let us focus on what is coming… I don't think this is the time to unite because each one has a path they want to follow. I don't think it will continue for long but we are scandalized by that.
“We pray for them that they don't continue like that because everyone from the children are hearing our leaders exchanging words at a time they should be concentrating in building peace,” he told reporters.
Bishop Mugambi appealed to the Transition Committee and other civil servants charged with ensuring smooth handover of power to ensure service delivery went on uninterrupted.
The Church particularly mentioned workers in key ministries such as Internal Security, Health, Education and National Treasury, asking them to remain dedicated to ensure service delivery systems did not collapse.
“They should focus on service to wananchi and ensure people with bad morals do not loot public resources during the transition period. We have become used to breaking the law in order to seek personal benefit. We are reminding people to follow the law since without it we would have anarchy,” he said in a speech signed by conference chairman Martin Kivuva.
The prelates decried prevalent cases of voter bribery saying the trend threatened poll credibility, and appealed to politicians to stop propagating hatred along political, tribal or religious lines.
“All should respect what opponents are saying since each one is entitled to their own opinion. Police should also follow the law on the road and during campaigns to ensure electoral laws are followed,” they appealed.
