With Catholic bishops urging peaceful voting and a large turn-out, thousands of Kenyans turned out to vote on Tuesday in a hotly contested general election that stirred fears of violence in the wake of the poll.
Ahead of the voting, the bishops had urged politicians to avoid actions that could trigger chaos. Voters will elect a President, senators, governors, women representatives and civic leaders. Tensions escalated across Kenya ahead of the polls, with people fleeing to rural areas over security concerns. Bishop Cornelius Korir of Eldoret said: “There must be constant communication during the elections so that Kenyans do not start speculating.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party (JP) and Raila Odinga of the National Super Alliance (NASA) opposition coalition are the front-runners.
On 3 August, the bishops in a joint statement with other religious leaders warned that politicians intended to use gangs to cause violence and claim it was spontaneous. The religious leaders want politicians to accept the result announced by the electoral body, shun demonstrations and seek redress for any grievances in courts of law.
Kenyan bishops have been categorical that the deadly post-election violence of 10 years’ ago, that claimed over 1,000 lives and displaced 600,000, must not be allowed to recur.
Fredrick Nzwili in Nairobi
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