Nyeri residents have been encouraged to attend civic education forums for the BBI report when they start.
The general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui on Wednesday also called on Kenyans to have an open mind and not to link the report to 2022 elections. He said the Building Bridges Initiative report is meant to fix problems that have been affecting Kenyans.
"You remember in the last elections we stayed almost for one year without working and without the country moving forward because of a political stalemate. We don’t want that to happen in 2022 or other future elections,” he said.
He said though people are constrained by Covid-19 and there have been no big gatherings, they should attend and engage in small meetings that will be called for civic education.
Kinyanjui, also a board member of the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), said the document has answers to many problems bedevilling the country.
The NCPD advises the national and county governments on matters of population development. The cleric spoke at YMCA Hall in Nyeri town during a meeting to seek public views on population issues. NCPD director-general Mohamed Sheikh was among those present.
Kinyanjui urged all Kenyans to have their say but also put the interest of the country first.
“As religious leaders, we have been discussing with the government how we can make sure we don’t have violence in every election year,” he said.
The BBI report was released on October 26 and outlines answers to electoral violence experienced in the country every election cycle since 1992, he said.
Kinyanjui observed that though there are people who have concerns, Kenyans have the capacity to sit down and iron out all contentious issues so they can move forward.
He also called on Kenyans to read, discuss the report and have vibrant conversations around the issues when they get copies of the document.
Kinyanjui said the views gathered on the population will help in developing the new policy for Kenya on population development.
The reverend also sits in the interfaith council that has been working with the government to open up places of worship. He called on Kenyans to follow the Covid-19 guidelines by the Ministry of Health. They include washing or sanitising hands regularly, wearing face masks and social distancing.
“This is because we have seen an upsurge of cases and deaths that are happening because of Covid-19. So we beseech and plead with every Kenyan wherever you are to, please, protect yourself, your family and neighbours,” he said.
Nyeri county commissioner Loyford Kibaara, who was the chief guest, said the government is in discussion with the NHIF to have the public insurer intervene in paying Covid-19 hospital bills for Kenyans.
Kibaara said some contributors are unable to clear huge Covid-19-related bills. The NHIF announced that it will not be in a position to pay the bills.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
