Hold peaceful consultations, clergy urges Ruto, Raila over Azimio demos
Evangelical Alliance of Kenya council led by chair Bishop Philip Kitoro and Bishop of Deliverance, Geoffrey Njuguna. The clergy urge all parties involved to consider the welfare of the Kenyan people.
The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) has issued a strong appeal for an immediate end to all demonstrations, stressing the importance of dialogue and peaceful consultation.
The religious leaders believe in the power of peaceful engagement and urge all parties involved to consider the welfare of the Kenyan people and work towards promoting unity in the nation.
Speaking at a press conference, the Bishop of Deliverance, Geoffrey Njuguna, highlighted the significant loss of property and life that has occurred during the demonstrations and strongly condemned the violent acts of robbery and destruction.
He stressed that every life lost is one too many and urged all leaders to uphold the sanctity of life and ensure the safety of all citizens regardless of their involvement in the protests.
"As shepherds and guardians, we urge that the protests and demonstrations be suspended indefinitely to make room for dialogue and peaceful consultation. This is the sensible thing to do. It is not cowardice but leadership to engage the government, to propose alternative solutions and to ensure that the life of every Kenyan is protected and not endangered or destroyed," said Bishop Njuguna.
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He also stressed the need for an end to political hostilities and urged leaders to engage in constructive dialogue. He urged leaders to talk to each other instead of talking past each other, stressing that their actions should be for the good of the Kenyan people.
"That both sides appreciate the fact that their actions should be for the good of the Kenyan people. That being the case, we call for a cessation of political hostilities. We urge our leaders to talk to and with each other, not at each other," he said.
"Parliament should work together for Kenyans and not for their political parties. If parliament does this, the views and plight of the people will be addressed by their representatives. We urge our MPs to represent, monitor and legislate for the sake of Kenyans," said Bishop Njuguna.
Philip Kitoro, chairman of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, echoed the importance of dialogue and peace, urging political leaders to engage in peaceful discussions to find constructive solutions to the country's challenges. He stressed that Kenya's problems can be effectively addressed without further straining relations or destabilising the country.
"We would like to invite our political leaders to come together and engage in dialogue. We urge them to realise that Kenya is not an exception and it is easy to fall as other nations have fallen. When that happens, they will not be spared. Our leaders must know that the day will come when they will be held accountable. We therefore call on our leaders to take responsibility. We urge them to sober up," said Bishop Kitoro.
The EAK also drew attention to the severe economic hardships facing the Kenyan people. Acknowledging the dire circumstances, Bishop Michael Adipo highlighted the alarming state of affairs.
"We want to acknowledge that Kenyans are going through difficult economic times. Many households can barely afford one meal a day. This is not a cliché but an actual reality on the ground, perhaps our leaders in government and opposition are out of touch with this reality. The situation is bad, to say the least," Bishop Adipo said.
This comes as opposition leader Raila Odinga urged Kenyans to take to the streets against the President William Ruto administration's hikes. However, at least nine people are reported to have died in the protests, including four in Mlolongo, two in Kitengela and one in Emali in Makueni County.
