The civil society group has noted an alarming increase in violence popping up in different parts of the country reported in the past few months.
The society which includes Observation Group, Centre for Multiparty Democracy, and Transparency International said that the incidences are a recipe for a chaotic election.
Civil Society concerned over political intolerance and violence in the country
The Executive Director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-Kenya) Franklin Mukwanja said that the civil society noticed over the years party nominations have been a do-or-die affair for some areas characterized as party strongholds.
“With tensions across the political landscape high because of the ongoing political party primaries, we urge political parties to ensure that they conduct their nominations in a peaceful, free, and democratic manner,” Mukwanja said.
He added that in regions with party strongholds, nominations are in many ways the end of elections with the party ticket holders assured of political seats.
“The parties should strive to adhere to the rule of law and their nomination rules to give legitimacy to the outcome of this process,” he added.
He was speaking during a joint Civil Society statement on the ongoing political party primaries ahead of August 9 polls on Sunday in Nairobi.
The civil society urged law enforcement agencies not to relent in their quest to ensure that the forthcoming August 9 polls are peaceful.
The Society also warned of the misuse of state resources by state officers.
The Executive Director of Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya) Sheila Masinde said that the misuse of state resources is malpractice that deprives Kenyans of free and fair elections.
“As political activities around the country intensify, we note with concern the continued misuse of state resources by state officials during campaigns. Such unjustified use of state resources is electoral malpractices that corrupt the electoral process,” said Masinde.
She added that it undermines the aspirations of Kenyans as espoused in Chapter six of the constitution of Kenya, 2010, the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2011 which call for public integrity, prohibits the wrongful or unlawful influence by state officers in the acquisition of property and prohibits misuse of state resources.
The society said that they are keenly monitoring and observing the processes and will be issuing periodic reports to the public.
