AFRICA/KENYA - "Give dialogue a chance", say the Bishops after the promulgation of the election amendment

Thursday, 12 January 2017 bishops   elections   dialogue  

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "Give dialogue a chance" ask the Bishops of Kenya in a statement sent to Agenzia Fides in the aftermath of the promulgation, by President Uhuru Kenyatta, of the disputed election amendment law. The Bill, approved on December 22 by Parliament, provides for use of a manual backup in identification of voters and transmission of election results in the event the electronic system fails in the scheduled August 2017 general elections (see Fides 05/01/2017). The opposition and civil society sectors have strongly criticized the adoption of the amendment.
"We wish to make a passionate appeal, for sobriety, to give dialogue a chance in order to reach a consensus and harmonious resolution that embraces divergent views of all Kenyans", the statement said.
The Bishops also appealed to all stakeholders to do everything possible to ensure a peaceful and credible forthcoming 2017 elections that will also guarantee that all processes are fair, inclusive and transparent. "We sincerely believe that demonstrations and mass action should give way to this process of dialogue. While it is constitutional to picket, and demonstrate, we know that in the process lives are lost, people injured and property destroyed", the document concludes. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/01/2017)


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