• Catholic Bishop Dominic Kimengich and imams chairman Abubakar Bini led clergy in urging residents to vote but maintain peace before, during and after polls.
• Clergymen said they were confident he government and IEBC had put effective measures in place to ensure the polls run smoothly.
Bishops and Muslim clergy in Rift Valley on Sunday made last-minute calls for harmony and unity as the county heads to the polls on Tuesday.
Catholic Bishop Dominic Kimengich and imams' chairman Abubakar Bini led the clergy in urging residents to turn out and vote but ensure they maintain peace before, during and after the vote.
“We make a passionate plea that the time has come for them to exercise their democratic right to vote but they must do so while keeping peace and unity,” Bishop Kimengich said.
He said the clergy they were confident the government and IEBC had put place effective measures in place to ensure the elections would go smoothly.
“We also urge the IEBC to ensure it does its work effectively to deliver a free and fair exercise that will help to strengthen the country’s democracy," Kimengich said.
Bini said they were happy the campaigns had ended peacefully in most parts of the country and urged Kenyans to maintain the same maturity during and after the election.
“Throughout the last there month of very heated campaigns we have witnessed very few incidents of violence and we thank our politicians and Kenyans for keep our country peaceful and united,” Bini said.
He said the clergy would also participate in observing the polls to ensure they are free and fair.
Hundreds of observers and monitors from international and local organisations have already moved to parts of Rift Valley and started observing.
The European Union, US embassy and British high commission have already deployed their teams to the region.
Some foreign observers in the last few days have been attending final campaign meetings for presidential and other candidates in Rift Valley with more than five million registered voters.
Some observers also met IEBC officials and the clergy to discuss the situation in the region.
County commissioner for Uasin Gishu Stephen Kihara said security teams were in place to ensure movement of people and goods will go smoothly.
“We now have so many people coming in because of the elections and we are prepared to ensure the process will go on smoothly with full guidance from the IEBC," he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)