Thousands of Muslim faithful in Garissa today congregated at various prayer grounds and Mosques to celebrate Eid al-Adha to commemorate prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
At the General (Rtd) Mohamud Idd grounds, former Garissa Governor, Nathif Jama, led a section of leaders present in calling on fellow politicians to restrain themselves from any acts that could trigger violence.
They further urged area residents to uphold peace and shun candidates out to incite them into violence during this electioneering period.
“As politicians we are all out crisscrossing the county and country in search of votes as we enter the home stretch, my appeal is that let us stick to Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) code of conduct, to which we all appended our signatures,” Nathif said.
“You don’t have to whip the emotions of your clan in order to gain sympathy votes. The electorate is well informed and they know the leaders they are going to vote in next month,” he added.
Nathif also appealed to the youth to be ambassadors of peace and be on the forefront in propagating messages of peace saying that many at times they are used to cause violence.
Abakaile Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Mohamed Ali, reiterated on the need for both the political leaders and the residents to maintain peace before, during and after the polls.
“Elections are a one-day event. They come and go but we shall remain one as a country and nation called Kenya. This is my humble message to Kenyans wherever they are and more so for Muslim brothers and sisters celebrating this important day,” he added.
Both Nathif and Ali sent messages of goodwill to all Muslims across the country and reminded them to be mindful of the less fortunate in the society through sharing.
By Jacob Songok
