US Ambassador urges for peaceful Kenya elections

By JEMIMAH MUENI

NAIROBI, Kenya July 29 – US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec has urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure next month’s general election is credible.
He was speaking when he joined the Shining Hope for Communities, a Non Governmental Organization in advocating for peaceful elections during a peace procession in Nairobi’s Kibera slum.

“It is very important that these elections be free, fair, credible and peaceful it’s good to see the people here in Kibera joined by other people in the country to commit themselves to peaceful elections,” said Godec.
Locals who spoke during the peace caravan urged Kenyans to respect the outcome of the poll and not to accept being used by politicians for their selfish gains.
“At the end of the day politics will go and people will remain and when caught in a scuffle a politician will not rescue you can be caught, you can be hurt or even be killed and its only your people who will cry for you so am begging the people of Kibera to maintain peace during and after elections am also asking the politicians to stop inciting people to fight,” said Hassan.
The event was organized by Kennedy Odede who is also the founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO).

“This is the message that Kibera is speaking we are peaceful and we want peaceful elections and we believe that the elections will be credible so all these people here have come to show the world that we are one and we are not going to be divided by politicians I want to tell our people that election will come and go we want to remain one family as we have always coexisted,” said Odede.

Kenyans will be going for elections on August 8 in high stakes elections in what is seen as a tight race between incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta and longtime Opposition leader Raila Odinga