NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 15 – Catholic Bishops have offered to mediate talks between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto as the two leaders increasingly drift apart shunning joint public appearances.
Ruto has been missing in key government meetings including recently a bilateral session between Kenya and Estonia at State House Nairobi where President Kenyatta was joined by several Cabinet Secretaries for official talks with President Kersti Kaljulaid.
The bishops expressed concerns that disagreements between the two former political allies could result in political intolerance between their supporters spread across the country.
“We are deeply concerned that if this open disagreement between the President and the Deputy President is taken up by their supporters, the trickle-down effect it could generate across the Country will be dire to even contemplate,” 23 bishops meeting in Nairobi under the banner of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) told news reporters on Wednesday.
“In a young democracy like ours, it is important that there is unity among the top leaders as this gives confidence to the people,” the bishops who included Archbishops Anthony Muheria and Philip Anyolo said.
The church leaders stated that the strained relationship between the two leaders poses a huge threat to the stability of the country as it edges closer to the 2022 general elections.
“The public exchanges that are being witnessed are dangerous for the prevailing peace and tranquility in the Country and cannot be taken lightly. They are already creating anxiety among the people and have potential to ignite political violence if not addressed with immediate effect,” they said.
The bishops further called on President Kenyatta and his deputy to seek ways of reconciling of for the sake of the country and its citizens adding that they were ready to lead the talks between them to find ways of repairing their relationship.
The two have differentiated on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) constitutional review process co-initiated by President Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga. The BBI process has since been invalidated by both the Constitutional Court and the Court of Appeal.
In regard to the August 20 Court of Appeal judgement on the Referendum Bill, the Bishops called on politicians and BBI supporters to accept the verdict saying it was a win for the country.
“Following the recent Court of Appeal judgement on the Referendum Bill, we urge all Kenyans to see this as a huge step towards the entrenchment of constitutionalism and the rule of law in our Country. We therefore call on all the arms of Government to respect the rule of law and exercise sobriety as they carry on with their respective complementary roles in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya,” they said.
The bishops further advise Kenyans to remain united and avoid being manipulated by the political leaders to engage in violence.
“We also call on all Kenyans to desist from following political leaders blindly. We must not allow ourselves to be manipulated by leaders to engage in violence or perpetuate negative ethnicity because we all belong to this one great Country called Kenya,” they said.
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