Catholic clerics back IEBC overhaul

Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Chairman Rt. Rev Philip Anyolo (left) during a past event. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The Catholic Church in Kenya has backed an overhaul of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and suggested its replacement with a fresh electoral body accepted by all Kenyans.

The chairman Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Rt. Rev Philip Anyolo said the commission is collapsing and there is need for an electoral body that is endorsed by all Kenyans.

“The way the commission is going, it should be disbanded and reconstituted afresh,” said Rev Anyolo.

The cleric spoke during the unveiling of the ten-year strategic plans for the Homa Bay Catholic Diocese and Homa Bay Caritas - a charitable wing of the church.

CRISIS

The cleric asked politicians to be sober in handling the crisis at the electoral body to enable the country come up with fit agency.

He added that reconstituting of the commission should be done in accordance with the law.

The church has also emphasised its view to have the Constitution reviewed for an expanded executive.

Last week during a press conference in Nairobi, the bishops, headed by Cardinal John Njue called for a national conference in the country to discuss electoral reforms with a view to seek radical changes to the presidency.

In his defence of the church’s position, Rev Anyolo said the country is a dynamic and the country’s past has not served us well because politicians have stopped viewing the presidency has position of service to the people.

“We are going into the future and we want to be a stable country where peace prevails,” he said.

The clergy said politicians in the country have turned the position of the presidency to prestige instead of serving the people, hence their decision to have radical changes on the presidency.

“The presidency should be position of service and not prestige because people need service. This is the reason we are calling for radical changes on the presidency,” the Rev said.

The clerics also condemned corruption in the country, calling for the immediate punishment of corrupt parties within the national and county governments.

They noted that the vice is rampant in the counties, where tribalism is practised openly and government officials hire their relatives and cronies.
“It is no longer about service delivery and professionalism but 'our turn to eat’.

“County governments must be held accountable for the money they have received and has not been utilised for the purpose intended,” he added.

He said that Kenya should follow the examples of Brazil and South Korea, which have prosecuted crooked leaders, including former presidents, for their corrupt dealings.

The clergy further asked Kenyans to desist from facilitating graft.