Uasin Gishu clergy and political leaders have signed a peace accord as part of efforts to foster peace and tranquility ahead of the August general election.
Catholic diocese of Eldoret Bishop Dominic Kimengich urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC to ensure that the elections are credible.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday at the Reformed Church of East Africa, Bishop Kimengich said the voting process is usually peaceful until the results are announced then chaos erupt because the voters usually tend to doubt the entire electioneering process.
He urged aspirants vying for the various seats to embrace peace saying that as a county they underwent many challenges following the 2007/2008 post-election violence and added the Catholic Church hosted many internally displaced persons who fled their homes when the violence erupted.
Uasin Gishu deputy governor Daniel Chemno echoed similar sentiments but pledged that the county will enjoy peace this time around.
“The motto is we will continue to preach peace in the region as the county was endowed with many economic opportunities that require investors who will only be confident to invest when peace prevails,” he said.
“We need to attract investors through preaching peace,” said the DG who urged residents to be tolerant of one another irrespective of their political persuasions.
He however asked the residents, especially the youth not to misuse the social media space by propagating hate speech messages.
“If you receive a message that you think is not worth it in your Facebook or Twitter account, or any of the social media spaces please do not be fast in forwarding or sharing, let it end at your page,” he advised.
National Cohesion and Integration Commissioner Dorcas Kegode said they are on high alert to ensure that nobody disrupts peace in the county. She also said the Commission will prosecute those found culpable for disrupting the peace.
By Kiptanui Cherono
