Clerics have appealed to politicians across the country to exercise tolerance ahead of next year’s general elections, for the sake of the country’s peace.
The clergymen raised alarm over increased political apprehension across the country noting that confrontational politics have caused deaths of innocent citizens and left a trail of destruction.
They say that clashes and property destruction during political activities—such as the disruption of rallies in Homa Bay and Nakuru—have heightened national anxiety.
The Church has also noted that politicians are increasingly mobilizing gangs and young people to intimidate opponents, echoing early warning signs seen in past high-stakes election cycles.
Their sentiments come a few days following chaos during the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay County that left four people, including a police officer, dead and properties destroyed.
Also, a political rally organized by the Democratic for the Citizens Party (DCP) led by ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Nakuru, turned chaotic after a group of youths pelted the leaders with stones.
Gachagua’s faction has since accused the government of sponsoring violence in his meetings, warning that the trail if not tamed will brew anarchy in the country.
The clerics under the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya (FEICCK) spoke during a meeting of the Pentecostal churches women caucus at Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya (FPFK) Church in Gatundu won, Kiambu County on Tuesday.
Led by Glory Outreach Assembly (GOA) Bishop David Thagana, the Men of Cloth warned Kenyan politicians against engaging in activities that threatens the country’s peace and that can plunge the country into anarchy.
“We are appealing to our leaders to exercise restraint in their political activities. we are saddened by the trail of political fights we are witnessing where leaders are publicly inciting and spreading hate against each other. We don’t want our country to slip back to the dark days of the 2007/08 post election violence,” the Bishop said.
“The tensions from the ongoing political activities are reviving memories of past election-related conflicts, putting pressure on civic unity and democratic institutions,” he added.
He noted with concern that political acrimony and hate mongering has been taken to social media platforms where leaders and their supporters are engaging in political squabbles that are detrimental to the country’s peace and harmony.
He called on the Government through relevant authorities to act swiftly and tame the trend.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Reverend Joyce Munyiri who singled out the trend of using goons or disrupt meetings.
She noted that selfish politicians are taking advantage of jobless youths in the country and using them to perpetrate apprehension in political meetings adding that this trend, if left unchecked, is a recipe for acrimony ahead of next year’s elections.
“We are saddened as mothers and church leaders by the way innocent youths are being used to fight for politicians’ selfish interests. Most of them have lost their lives in the anarchy and others have been left nursing grievous injuries. This must come to an end for our country’s peace,” Rev Munyiri said.
She called on mothers to pray and talk to their young children against engaging in confrontational politics to avoid losing more young and innocent lives.
“Let’s go down on our knees and pray for our children and our country. This is the only country we have and we need peace for us to sail through the electioneering period,” she said.
Jacinta Wanjiru called on the Government to act decisively and tame goonism as well as political conflicts as the country gets to a crucial phase that can change the country’s cause.
