shun divisive politics ,Catholic bishops urge president Uhuru and opposition leader Raila Odinga

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BY EURIDICE NZIOKA,NAIROBI,26TH SEPT 2017-The catholic bishops   have urged   the two main political affiliations in the country  to shun divisive politics  so as not  undermine peaceful coexistence of the Kenyan people  ahead of the repeat   presidential poll slated for October 26th.

Addressing the press in Nairobi at the Donum Dei in Karen on Tuesday,  the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops  bishop Philip Anyolo has  urged both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga to be advocates of peace during their campaigns.

“We have examined the current environment and have concluded that unless we embrace dialogue and reason together and agree on common nation common steps to stability and effective governance, the risk of plunging into full blown conflict and collapsing economy is real, there is need for our leaders to champion for peace in the country,” said Anyolo.

The bishop  who was speaking after a closed door meeting with  IEBC  OFFICIALS ,Anyolo who was accompanied by other Bishops drawn from other parts of the country appealed to the two leaders to honour the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) invitation to dialogue and to chart the way forward with the aim of holding the fresh presidential election slated for 26th October.

“There have been demands from both parts of the political divide on IEBC, that the IEBC is trying to address, we are convinced that this proposed meeting for dialogue should be an opportunity to address the pending issues surrounding the elections,” said Anyolo.

The bishop also  appealed to Kenyans to restrain themselves from engaging in violent demonstrations that may trigger tension in the country .

The bishops have also appealed to the two political sides to heed to the IEBC call for dialogue as the only way to lasting peace in the country.