Religious leaders have urged President William Ruto and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga to hold talks aimed at solving the recruitment of Commissioners for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
In a statement on Thursday, they asked the two leaders to agree to bipartisan talks on the IEBC issues to save the country from division.
"Your Excellency President Ruto and Rt Honorable Odinga, we appeal to you to stop cutting Kenya in two! Do not lead the country on a path of self-destruction," it read.
The leaders were drawn from the National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims.
They included NCCK chairperson Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, KCCB chairperson Reverend Martin Kivuva Musonde and SUPKEM chairperson Al Hajj Hassan Ole Naado.
They said they were going to assist in the course by rallying Kenyans so they can also speak on their challenges and come up with solutions.
"On our part, we are putting in place measures to convene a National Dialogue Convention where Kenyans can address their challenges and recommend solutions," they said.
The religious leaders also urged Ruto to repeal the Finance Act 2023, noting that it poses a heavy taxation challenge to Kenyans.
They also urged him to instruct Cabinet Secretaries and other state officials to promote the rule of law and refrain from using provocative language.
"The prevailing sense of impunity needs to be curtailed," they said.
At the same time, the religious organisations urged Raila to withdraw the signature collection process and call off demonstrations.
"The threat of collecting signatures so as to overthrow the government is dangerous for the country and should be withdrawn," the said.
They noted that the protests had led to the destruction of property and loss of lives, making the current situation in the country worse.
"Indeed the destruction of businesses as well as public and private properties is pushing the cost of living higher, not lower. We urge you to embrace dialogue and consultations as a strategy for addressing grievances so as to promote reconciliation," the religious leaders added.
