- While revisiting the 2007 post-election violence, Ngao said elections always trigger tension and that should be a thing of the past.
- He said that religious leaders have a special role to play as agents of peace and reconciliation in ensuring that Kenya becomes a peaceful and prosperous nation.
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG
The Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council has called on politicians to maintain peaceful campaigns ahead of the August polls.
Addressing the media at Tononoka grounds on Sunday during special prayers for rain, the council urged Kenyans not to allow the highly charged political environment to lead to chaos.
Led by Kemnac chair Sheikh Juma Ngao, they asked the political class to desist from divisive politics and instead preach peace as they sell their agenda to the electorate.
Ngao said that many people were gripped by fear due to heightened tension in the country.
He urged politicians to tone down on their rhetoric that has the potential to incite violence.
"Elections need not be a matter of life and death, it should not bring about undue tension and fear in the country," Ngao said.
While revisiting the 2007 post-election violence, Ngao said elections always trigger tension, something that should be a thing of the past.
He also urged the media not to engage in polarisation and political discussions which may fuel animosity during the election period.
“We are calling on the National Intelligence Services to monitor all the political debates in radio stations and censor those that could be propagating political animosity through the media,” he said.
Ngao said that religious leaders have a special role to play as agents of peace and reconciliation in ensuring that Kenya becomes a peaceful and prosperous nation.
On his part, Sheikh Juma Omar, the national 'Mufti' for Kemnac, said that Kenyans should not tire of praying for peaceful elections.
A 'Mufti' is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a non binding opinion on a point of Islamic law
Sheikh Omar warned politicians against making inflammatory remarks which could lead to tension.
"Let us unite and pray for peace during the electioneering period, elections come and go but Kenya will remain,” he said .
The sentiments were echoed by former Wakfu commissioner Zuberi Noor who called on the Muslim community to pray for guidance in electing credible leaders.
"Let us come together as a community during this holy month of Ramadan and chart the way forward for the betterment of the Muslim community through developmental agendas,”Zuberi said.
The Muslim leaders also prayed for national healing during the electioneering period saying that Kenya has long been an oasis of peace.
"We hope the impeding polls can be held safely and peacefully," he said.
The message of peace was reiterated by the Coast Inter-community Forum for Azimio.
The lobby group which campaigns for the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate, ODM leader Raila Odinga, called for political tolerance ahead of the August polls.
Led by Vice-chairman Michael Kituku, the group said that the country was not ready to go back to the 2007 road.
"We call upon people to allow all presidential candidates to campaign across the country in a peaceful manner and exercise restraint for the period remaining,"Kituku said.
Kituku condemned the stoning of Odinga's chopper during the burial of Mzee Jackson Kibor in Uasin Gishu.
He said that it was wrong to attack another person as Kenya is a democratic country where everybody is free to campaign anywhere.
"If you feel that you don’t like someone don't attend their meetings,"he said.
"This rising political temperature is a catalyst for election violence that the country is not ready for."
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)