NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 19 — The country’s Catholic bishops have urged voters not to be “casual and careless” in exercising their right to vote in the August 9 elections.
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) urged voters to be deliberate in electing wise leaders who will work for the wellbeing of all Kenyans.
“We will be choosing leaders who will determine, for the next five years, the destiny of our Wards, our Constituencies, our Counties and our Country. We are at the doorsteps of bestowing power to leaders who make decisions about our individual and collective wellbeing. We therefore cannot afford to be casual in the way we elect leaders,” Archbishop Martin Kivuva, the Conference Chairman, said.
The electorate, according to KCCB, must be conscious of what they want to see accomplished when the next regime assumes office.
Archbishop Kivuva emphasized that leaders should be visionary leaders, whose visions go beyond manifestos written on paper.
He urged voters to set aside time to read the manifestos of the candidates they wish to elect to office.
“One way to do this is to engage the leaders in discussions forums including media discussions, where these leaders offer their vision. We should seize this moment to internalize the vision of our Country and vote for the person we consider most suitable to drive it forward,” Archbishop Kivuva said.
While the closely contested General Election in August was centered on, among other things, the fight against corruption, Bishop Kivuva emphasized the need of electing leaders who can be trusted to stop the vice.
“We urge you to refuse to elect any leader who we perceive will propagate the cancer of corruption. An electable leader should detest corruption at all levels to serve as an example to others,” Archbishop Kivuva said.
“Let us elect a truly Godly leader who inspires hope and unity among Kenyans. May Christ our Servant Leader shine upon us to discern the kind of leader who will address the challenges Kenyans face particularly the poor and the disadvantaged,” he added.