Religious leaders under the Dialogue Reference Group have raised concerns over the rising tension in the country ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Speaking on Friday, the leaders urged Kenyans, including politicians to spearhead a national dialogue designed to diffuse tension.
The leaders discussed several issues including;
National Stagnation
They said national stagnation has been a default setting for the country, where the country is stabilized but the underlying conflicts remain unresolved.
They also said that currently, the opposition party in Parliament has been captured, rendering it ineffective.
They also said that violation of human rights is still being witnessed in the country as well as impunity and blatant disregard of the rule of law.
The Dialogue Reference Group added that corruption continues to reign.
Relapse to Conflict
According to the religious leaders, the agreement between ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta collapsed.
They have also raised concern over ruling Jubilee Party issues, which have widened the relationship between the president and his deputy.
“Jubilee Party uses its majority to consolidate power and hinder genuine reforms…underground militias emerge and coupled with the continual weakening of social institutions, lead to anarchy,” part of the statement reads.
Dialogue and Transformation
They have claimed that there is a wide-scale, all-inclusive dialogue leading to genuine reforms and that there are a comprehensive identification and resolution of the underlying causes of conflict among communities.
Also, they said that there is a need to undertake reforms in the electoral regime to ensure that the future elections are free and fair.
Preparation for 2022 General Elections
The group said IEBC is suffering from a serious case of leadership and credibility crisis.
“It is greatly worrying that 20 months before elections, the four commissioners who resigned have not been replaced and the process of appointing a substantive Chief Executive officer is in limbo.”
They said that the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee should legislate a legal framework for the appointment of IEBC commissioners, that is not controlled by political parties.
“Commissioners should be fully independent of political influences...IEBC should regularly update Kenyans on its preparations for 2022.”
Additionally, the group has urged the government to deal with cases of corruption effectively.
They also noted with concern the statement issued by the National Security Advisory Council, saying the security agencies have in the recent past been reported to have hindered activities at places of worship
