Clerics laud IEBC for smooth handling of election process
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) have commended the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for putting in place structures to ensure efficiency in the election process.
In a joint statement, the clerics said they had received reports from more than 3,000 observers spread across the country which indicated that the exercise progressed well save for some logistical and technological hitches.
While calling for peace, Rt Rev John Oballa Owaa of (KCCB) and Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui of (NCCK) raised concerns over the cancellation of elections in some parts of the country.
Constitutionally mandated
“We urge the voters and candidates in the affected areas to remain peaceful and patient as they await the opportunity to vote for their leaders, which the IEBC has announced will be done soonest possible,” said Owaa.He called upon all the IEBC officials, agents of political parties and candidates, and all others involved in the counting and tallying of votes to exercise the highest possible levels of transparency, accountability, and accuracy.“It will be an affront to Kenyans if the ballots they cast so faithfully are miscounted. Whereas the IEBC is constitutionally mandated to declare results, other actors have been allowed to undertake parallel tallying,” he added.
Owaa said all those who have parallel tallying centres should broadcast their findings to continually inform their audiences that such results are provisional to ensure that mistakes made by specific institutions do not mislead the public.
On his part, Kinyanjui observed that constitutional democracies such as Kenya are premised on competitive elections which produce winners and losers calling upon all candidates, supporters, and commentators to carefully consider their words and actions in response to the results that are announced.
Recognising that every Kenyan has a role to play in the betterment of our society, Kinyanjui encouraged both winners and losers to accept the will of the people noting that any candidate or Kenyan who is dissatisfied with the results may seek legal redress. “No one should incite Kenyans to engage in violence on account of the election results. Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it,” said Kinyanjui.
Meanwhile, the National Peace and Mediation Team has urged Kenyans to follow the results of vote tallying peacefully until all persons elected to various positions are announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The Chairman of the National Peace and Mediation Team and head of the Anglican Church in Kenya, the Rev. Jackson ole Sapit said the team also calls upon political leaders and citizens to give IEBC officials time to conduct the constitutional and statutory duty and obligations in this democratic journey.
Presidential election
“We advise against any unreasonable pressure being piled on the Commission,” stated Sapit.“Whatever the outcome of the Presidential Election and all other elective positions we call for calm and restraint from all sides and whichever party that will feel aggrieved should call for calm among their supporters,” he added.
He at the same time noted that parties that will feel aggrieved by the election results should pursue the acceptable constitutional means to seek redress.
Sapit who was flanked by members of the team was speaking Wednesday at the National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi.He assured of the team’s commitment to work closely with all relevant stakeholders among them political parties, as well as ensure that peace, harmony, security and unity continue to prevail among all Kenyans.
