As the 2022 General Election draws near, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops have called for leaders seeking elective posts to shun the verbal dress drawn that have characterized their campaigns in the recent days, urging them to respect one another.
In a statement issued by Nyeri diocese archbishop Anthony Muheria, the bishops asked politicians to desist from making pronouncements and utterances that can provoke anxiety among Kenyans and lead to violence.
He further urged Kenyans to exercise their democratic right by coming out and voting on August 9, noting that failure to do so would give room for less qualified candidates including the corrupt people and less worthy people to win seats they clearly should not.
“We can change the direction of this country through our vote and we must not sell it off through cheap handouts in these last days. May we elect leaders who will bring honour to our country,” he said, urging for level headedness and sobriety from all involved in the process such as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and government agencies.
The Archbishop further called for civility after the elections noting that there will be only one possible winner as the elections cannot be a do or die contest.
He asked those who win to maintain humility and those who will lose to equally concede graciously without causing chaos.
“We should learn from the past that those who emerge victorious quickly develop a condescending attitude towards those that lose… unmeasured celebrations or mayhem do not advance the democratic space we are enjoying,” Archbishop Muheria said.
He also asked the leaders to prepare their supporters for any outcome of the election by advancing their civic role of deliberately telling them that life must continue should they lose.
The bishops further tasked the IEBC to do everything possible to address legitimate concerns over the recent events involving alleged claims of possible interference of the vote counting process.
“IEBC ought to come out openly to clarify any allegations or misrepresentations… we must not lose sight of our dark history with vote count. We must conclude the election exercise without delays,” he said.
In addition, the political class was cautioned against making remarks in public that may antagonize the efforts to deliver free, fair and credible elections.
In addressing the cost of living that has perennially been rising, the archbishop asked the leaders to make realistic promises to the electorate by employing SMART strategies.
“The cost of living has been a major topic in their campaign agenda and we know it will not improve overnight… to the aspiring leaders we ask for authenticity and truth. Provide solutions that are realistic and not the lies of false promises,” he added.
He added challenges facing the country cannot be solved on promises alone; rather citizens require an enabling environment and well-articulated plans and interventions.
