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Christian leaders in Kenya are calling on politicians in the East African nation to separate the debate around a referendum on the Constitution and the 2022 succession politics to guarantee peace and stability in the country.
Members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) have, in a collective message titled “Conscience: A Path to Life”, outlined eight issues affecting the East African nation, calling on Kenyans to be vigilant and “do what is right for the good of everyone.”
Weeks after a South Sudanese Bishop recommended that the controversy around boundaries and the number of states in his country be resolved through engaging citizens in a poll, the Government of the world’s youngest nation announced Friday, December 6 that the divisive issue of states will require a referendum, a move the Bishop has once again welcomed.
Following the December 1 decision by Ghana’s president to call off the referendum scheduled for December 17 in which Ghanaians were to vote on whether to allow or deny Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) participate in local elections based on party affiliations, Catholic Bishops in the West African country have reacted to the move, terming the decision “good news.”
One of the reasons for the latest postponement of the formation of a unity government in South Sudan, a power-sharing government that would see the leader of opposition Dr. Riek Machar sworn in a Vice-President, is the arrangement of the boundaries of states in the world’s youngest country, including the number of states.
At a time when Zimbabwe is grappling with a myriad of challenges among them “the worst economic crisis since the 2017 coup which unseated (former) President Robert Mugabe,” leaders from various Christian denominations in the landlocked Southern Africa nation are calling for a seven-year suspension of politicking in what they have termed “a Sabbath on all political contestation” aimed at rebuilding trust and confidence among Zimbabweans.
As the countdown to Ghana’s referendum draws to a close, the Catholic Bishops in the West African country are prioritizing civic education, which they consider significant in having the citizens make an informed decision at the ballot.