National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) in collaboration with the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), on Thursday, held a conference in Nairobi to provide a platform for the USAID Mulika Initiative partners and other actors to make a final review of the readiness for the general election.
The forum was attended by different actors and stakeholders for the general elections such as the Independent, Electoral, and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Election Observation Group (ELOG), Kenya national commission for human rights (KNCHR), and independent medical and legal unit (IMLU) as the implementing partners of the Mulika initiative.
Mulika initiative is a faith-based/civil society-led cohesion and election oversight program aimed at improving accountability and transparency in electoral and democratic processes.
The program was designed to respond to and address the electoral violence and human rights violations witnessed in the previous electoral cycles as a way of providing Kenyans with a peaceful and objective platform for competition for power, renewal of leadership mandate, and exercise of their sovereign rights.
NCCK and the KCCB leaders have challenged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), national security, and all leaders to promote peace, ahead, during, and after the August 9 General Election.
Following the counter-accusations between the IEBC and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the leaders stressed that the security of the nation and the elections are very crucial and solutions should be brought forward by the relevant bodies before time elapses.
Regarding this concern, the IEBC commissioner Boya Molu said the commission is well prepared to conduct a free fair, and credible election.
The IEBC commissioner dismissed claims by the Directorate of Criminals Investigation (DCI) on the Venezuelan nationals arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by the police in possession of election materials in their personal luggage.
He clarified that the foreigners are employees of the Smartmatic company contracted by the commission to offer electronic voting technology and services during the August 9th election and had valid travel documents.
Boya further clarified that the stickers are not strategic election materials but for labeling the KIEMS kit during dispatch to the polling stations.
USAID Mulika Initiative is being implemented in 18 counties which include; Mombasa, Kilifi, Kisumu, Kisii, Nairobi, Machakos, Trans Nzoia, Kakamega, Bungoma, and Nakuru.