Senator Haji urges youth to be peace ambassadors during election

Garissa Senator Abdul Haji has urged the youth to be ambassadors of peace before, during and after the general election.

Haji urged the youth not to let politicians use them only to sideline them after they have won the election.

The senator who is seeking to defend his seat on a Jubilee ticket spoke on Thursday while addressing hundreds of youth from different communities and clans in Garissa.

He said most of the time the youth are the ones targeted by politicians to disrupt unity and cause havoc, urging them to be wary of such politicians.

Haji further urged the youth to shun divisive politics and instead be champions of unity across the county.

“It's a few days to election and by now I am sure each and every one of you knows the candidates you will vote for, from the president to the MCA. That is within your constitutional right, no one should deny you, so go out and vote,” he said.

The senator however said it is unfortunate that the youth often fall into  the trap of some self-seeking politicians who use them as goons to disrupt peace.

“Garissa belongs to all of us and we must jealously guard our hard earned peace and tranquility, that we are enjoying,” he said.

Haji further said election is a one-day event and residents should accept the results when they are announced.

He said in every contest there will always be winners and losers and urged both the candidates and their supporters to accept the results and avoid going to the streets to protest the outcome.

“We trust the IEBC to deliver a free, fair and credible election. It is their constitutional mandate, which we know they are capable of executing very well.

"This issue of some candidates using the youth and telling you to go the streets to protest the outcome, shouldn't be accepted at all,” Haji said.

He also called on elders to emphasise on the importance of peace before, during and after election.

“We have in the past seen how campaigns get heated and full of emotions. These emotions if not well managed and controlled, will result in something else and we will not take that route,” the senator said.

Abdikadir Hussein who spoke on behalf of the youth said they will not accept to be used by self-seeking politicians.

“This time round we want to have a peaceful election not only in Garissa but countrywide, that is the clarion call that we are making.

"Let no one go out to hack another person or destroy property because doing so is not only wrong but amounts to engaging in criminal activities,” he said.

Galbeth MCA Abdirizack Ismail however took issue with the long vetting process, which youth from the region have always been subjected to when applying for ID cards.

He said the process locked out many potential voters.

Ismail said even though many have been removed from the refugee data base and issued with ID cards, hundreds still lack the document.

He however urged the incoming government to prioritise the issue.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)