Religious leaders from various faith held an engagement meeting to review and discuss the State of the Nation on polls ahead of the August 9th General Elections.
Speaking during a press briefing held at Ufungamano House, Nairobi, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, said that the Commission is ready and set to carry out the forthcoming General Elections successfully.
“We are prepared up to the level of the election operations plan. We have procured all the service providers including ICT support, ballot papers among others,” he added.
Chebukati stated that the Commission is cleaning-up the Voters Register including removing multiple registrations, after which it will subject the register to an audit, through an audit firm that the Commission has identified and already procured.
The Chairman added that civic education is being carried out at ward level, with each ward having two civic educators and appealed to all the stakeholders, to support the IEBC on the same.
Meanwhile, IEBC Commissioner, Boya Molu, warned leaders who politic in the churches and other religious centers to stop such practices as it violates the freedom of worship and could be derogatory for individuals who belong to different political parties.
“We urge our religious leaders and Kenyans across the country, to stop leaders and politicians from engaging negatively within our holy places,” said Molu.
Molu challenged the media by urging them to help the Commission in raising voter confidence in order to raise the voting numbers and assure them that their votes will count.
The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Canon Chris Kinyanjui, stated that the Council is ready to assist the IEBC in ensuring that the Commission’s mission of having a free and fair election is met.
“We as the religious leaders shall roll out nationwide prayers at both National and Sub-National level dedicated to peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections,” he pledged.
Kinyanjui assured Kenyans that the Council will continue its outreach and follow-up engagements with IEBC and also partner with them in conducting voter education.
“We shall strengthen civic education, community resilience, and pastoral letters addressing important national issues,” he added.
By Teresa Rurigi
