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Kenya’s Religious Leaders to Embark on Civic Education ahead of General Elections

Members of the National Council of Churches of Kenya - NCCK. Credit: NCCK

By Magdalene Kahiu

Nairobi, 17 March, 2022 / 10:20 am (ACI Africa).

Representatives of religious leaders in Kenya have said that plans are underway for them to spearhead civic education targeting their respective members as the East African nation prepares for general elections in August.

Kenyan voters will be expected to vote for their President, Governors, Senators, Women representatives, Members of Parliament, and Members of County Assemblies at the poll scheduled for August 9. 

“We shall commence interaction with Kenyans in our places of prayer and worship to strengthen interaction with stakeholders so that we educate our voters as we gear towards the next election,” the Secretary of the Dialogue Reference Group (DRG), an entity that includes representatives of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), told journalists Tuesday, March 15.

Canon Chris Kinyanjui said religious leaders will seek to strengthen “community resilience and adaptation mechanisms to ensure safety and welfare for all Kenyans throughout the pre, during and post-election period.”

In conducting voter education, Canon Kinyanjui said religious leaders will partner with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and other stakeholders.

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During the March 15 press conference, the DRG representative said religious leaders are ready to undertake advocacy work and increase the visibility of faith-based actors in the public space ahead of the elections.

“We shall strengthen Monitoring and Observation as well as the rapid response. We are monitoring the gender-based violence, inter-ethnic conflicts, and insecurity incidents that we have witnessed in the country,” Canon Kinyanjui said at the conference that DRG Chairman, Bishop John Oballa Owaa of the Catholic Diocese of Ngong also attended.

“We have agreed to roll out nationwide prayers at National and Sub-National levels dedicated to peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections,’ he said.

He continued, “We have agreed to commence and give moral support and encouragement to the IEBC as it undertakes this important national exercise.”

On his part, the IEBC Chairman, Wafula Chebukati, said the commission is prepared for the general elections. 

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Mr. Chebukat added that IEBC officials will engage religious leaders and other stakeholders as they prepare for the polls. 

“We shall have more meetings with religious leaders and other stakeholders as we prepare for the elections,” the Chairman of IEBC said March 15.

Magdalene Kahiu

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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