Church Leaders’ Call for Sobriety on IEBC, Determined to Foster Reconciliation Ahead of 2017 General Election.

Church leaders under the auspices of the Ecumenical Civic Engagement Programme (ECEP) have embarked on a series of consultative meetings with various stakeholders in the electoral process aimed at ensuring that the 2017 general election is peaceful, fair and credible.

Top on the agenda of the multi-sectoral discussions is the current debate on the need for electoral reforms to secure credible and transparent elections 2017. At the height of these engagements the credibility of commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been brought to bear given the raging debate around alleged electoral malpractices and corruption.

The leaders drawn from their umbrella organizations- Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK)- have so far held discussions with the Issack Hassan led Commission, Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Justine Muturi, Principals of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), a section of Jubilee affiliated members of parliament, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the National Council of Elders.

The church leaders are concerned that if unchecked, the divisive politics pitting the two major political formations in the country especially touching on the credibility and the capacity of the commission and particularly the IEBC commissioners could degenerate into a state of volatility with a potential to spiral to violence.

Speaking during their meetings with various groups, the Church leaders affirmed their commitment to address the current political impasse around IEBC and secure a just and amicable electoral process that guarantees peace during and after the 2017 General Election.

The leaders affirmed that they had found it prudent to engage different institutions and actors to ensure that contentious issues are addressed squarely.

The talks by the Church leaders on the electoral processes are led by Chairman Rt. Reverend Cornelius arap Korir (KCCB) and NCCK’s General Secretary Reverend Canon Peter Karanja. Others in the initiative include Archbishop Martin Kivuva, Archbishop Zacheaus Okoth, Rt. Reverend Alfred Rotich(all from KCCB), Presiding Bishop Joseph Ntobura(Methodist Church) Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, Bishop Julius Kalu, Dr. Charles Kibicho, Bishop Simon Achar, Moderator Musa Maina (all from NCCK) and NCCK’s Deputy General Secretary Dr. Nelson Makanda among others.

ECEP is aimed at addressing prevailing socio-economic challenges in Kenya with a view of promoting peace, cohesion, justice and good governance. It involves faith based organisations in advocacy programmes geared towards creating a credible platform for dialogue between Church/religious leaders, Political leaders, National and County Government Executives, and parliament.

The project seeks to strengthen the religious leaders’ civic engagement with national leadership on major governance, security and development challenges confronting Kenya at the national level through various forums such as lobby meetings, sensitization forums and dialogue platforms.

In addition, it is anticipated that through the project, Church leaders will dispel perceived rising tension that could precipitate a confrontation between political leaders and create an enabling environment that enables parliament to pass legislations that are for the common good of the nation.