Accept poll results and move on, Uhuru urges leaders

President Uhuru Kenyatta with former Cabinet Minister William Ole Ntimama on July 3, 2017 at All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi. President Kenyatta said he was open to dialogue to ensure there is peace in the country. PHOTO | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • On Tuesday, both Houses will debate the 14 names proposed by Jubilee and Cord coalitions to sit in the joint Select Committee of Parliament on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
  • The archbishop, who is also the fourth diocesan bishop of the All Saints Cathedral Diocese, called for national cohesion in his inauguration speech.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has challenged political parties to learn how to accept the results of elections.

In an apparent broadside at the Opposition coalition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord), President Kenyatta said: “We can compete like football teams where eventually whoever emerges the winner comes together, hold hands and say ‘thank you very much’ and march forward.”

The President spoke at the All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, at the enthronement of the sixth Archbishop of the Anglican Church, the Right Reverend Jackson Nasoore ole Sapit.

Dr Sapit succeeded Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, who retired earlier in the year.

President Kenyatta also said he was open to dialogue “to ensure we have peace in this country and have peaceful elections”.

He spoke only two days before the National Assembly and the Senate begin talks on how to reconstitute the electoral commission.

On Tuesday, both Houses will debate the 14 names proposed by Jubilee and Cord coalitions to sit in the joint Select Committee of Parliament on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

While welcoming the new Archbishop, the President said: “You have a role, a difficult one, I will assure you, but your predecessor attempted to bring us politicians together, and it is not that easy. It is good that I tell you the truth: It is not easy but… bring us together and talk.”

Archbishop Sapit had challenged Jubilee and Cord leaders to “go on a retreat” and come up with a shared vision for the country.

“It is, therefore, my prayer that one day the President, his deputy and the Cord principals may take a retreat together and have sufficient time to talk about the beautiful Kenya they want to see, and communicate this vision to us in words and deeds,” said Archbishop Sapit.

“The two sides must then come and tell us Kenyans what their vision is. Their decisions will be left behind long after their political careers.”

ACT EXPEDITIOUSLY
The archbishop, who is also the fourth diocesan bishop of the All Saints Cathedral Diocese, called for national cohesion in his inauguration speech.

He said there was a need for the leadership to tackle corruption, poverty, disease and other societal vices.

Deputy President William Ruto urged the archbishop to be firm and say “No” to those spreading hatred, to reject divisions and rebuke ethnicity.

Meanwhile, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee should speed up dealing with a petition on the removal of IEBC bosses.

According to him, the work of the joint select committee does not stop Parliament’s work.

“The justice committee should move with speed in dealing with the petition by Mr Nyakuri (Barasa) and if they find them guilty, they should go home,” said Mr Kuria.

“The setting up of the select committee, whose names will be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, does not stop the work of Parliament.”

Additional reporting by John Njagi