.jpg)
| |||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
By:
HARRISON MAINA | |||||||||
| Posted:
Aug,07-2017 17:59:00
| |||||||||
|
BOSTON--The number of independent candidates vying for various positions in the upcoming Kenyan general elections has helped reduce tribal animosity in the run-up to eagerly awaited process coming to a head in the next two weeks, said Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, head of the Anglican church community in Kenya while visiting with Kenyans in Boston two weeks ago. Addressing Kenyans and visitors soon after an official Sunday ceremony event at the new Faith Anglican Church in Bridgewater, Ole Sapit said that the large number of independent candidates, ranging from Governors, senators, MCA's as well as presidential aspirants, have caused a big headache to the two main rivals, incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Coalition and Raila Odinga, leader of the NASA Opposition coalition running a spirited campaign in an effort to unseat the president. It is Raila's third attempt at the top of the ticket, having run unsuccessfully in 2013, which he claimed he was rigged out, and in the hotly disputed 2007 elections which resulted into massive post election violence with over 1,200 people losing their lives, thousands more displaced and lots of property destroyed. The archbishop said that the recent primary elections within the two main parties that traditionally for tribal based alliances in order to win elections caused some upheaval in many parts of Kenya, but ended up resulting in lower tribal tensions when those who lost registered to vie as independent candidates. "Recently things have heated up as we head to the elections in August. What we are praying for is for Kenya to have peace during this election time. After the primaries, the main candidates were forced to go back to their own backyards to try and calm tensions caused by former associates who lost badly We thank God that so far we are experiencing peace.." "This gave us a little bit of peace since we are not hearing a lot of tribal rhetoric between Raila and Uhuru as was the case before. What we are hearing now is Raila struggling to contain his own people who lost, and Uhuru doing the same. However, preparations are going well with the newly reconstituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission that is making progress towards ballot printing on time. No one wants the elections to be postponed for any reason. We pray that peace will prevail," Ole Sapit told Kenyans as he painted a hopeful and bright picture for a peaceful and prosperous Kenya if violence does not break up. He added that the church, particularly the ACK remained neutral in the elections and has not made any comments favoring any candidate over the other. He also urged Kenyans in the Diaspora to take the lead and help Kenya end tribalism in the Diaspora first then bring the same virtues back home. "Kenya as a country is ours. Elections will come and go, regardless of the leader we shall get. Let us love one another all the time." WATCH FULL COMMENTS IN THE VIDEO BELOW | |||||||||
|
Source:
AJABU AFRICAN NEWS
| |||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RSS