The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has come out strongly against what it described as the premature grabbing of the political campaigns ahead of the 2027 General Elections. It warned that such activities could lead to the loss of the nation’s peace and stability.
NCCK Nyanza Regional Vice Chair Reverend Titus Odoyo on the first day of a two-day citizen engagement workshop in Kisumu, made a passionate appeal to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), and other state agencies to intervene and stop the early campaigns that could lead to the eruption of political violence.
Rev. Odoyo explained that apart from the damage that the early campaigns do to the country’s economy through the slowdown of activities, they also make people’s emotions run high which ultimately leads to the neglect of development and other important matters.
“We are appealing to every authority that is concerned to implement measures that will ensure peace before, during, and after the elections period. Leaders should be very careful with their actions and think of the country first,” he indicated.
The NCCK workshop that zeroed in on intergenerational consultations as an electoral peace tool was attended by the youth, community leaders, and the faith-based organizations who deliberated on the best ways to maintain peace during the political transitions.
The pastors, in turn, called on Kenyans, especially the youth, to utilize the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in order to ensure that their voices count in the 2027 elections.
Besides elections concerns, the church leaders also expressed their worries over the lecturers’ strike, landslide tragedy in Elgeyo Marakwet that happened recently, and the country’s bad economy and they have all been urging the government to come up with solution in good time.
Rev. Odoyo was full of energy when he also requested the politicians to handle the post-Raila Odinga era transition with utmost care and seriousness, especially those in the Nyanza region as it is a sensitive topic for many people.
“We appeal to the leaders to do it in a way that guides their followers during the transition period so as not to cause discord among them,” he concluded.
