OPENING REMARKS BY
THE MOST REVEREND BENJAMIN NZIMBI
CHAIRMAN, INTER RELIGIOUS FORUM, AND
ARCHBISHOP, ANGLICANCHURCH OF KENYA
DURING THE NATIONAL INTER RELIGIOUS PRAYERS FOR PEACE AND LAUNCH OF THE CHAGUA AMANI ZUIA NOMA CAMPAIGN
OFFICIATED BY H.E. MWAI KIBAKI, E.G.H., M.P.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA
ON FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2007
AT KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE GROUNDS, NAIROBI
Your Excellency the President, Honourable Mwai Kibaki,
Madam Elizabeth Lwanga, United Nations Resident Coordinator,
Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
Cabinet ministers,
Members of Parliament,
Leaders of Religious Institutions,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.
It is my great pleasure to welcome all of us to this grand occasion. Today, we join hands with the rest of the world to celebrate peace and remind ourselves of the immense negative effects of conflict and violence.
Your Excellency, Ladies and gentlemen, peace is so important in our lives that we should not allow the transient activity of holding elections leave us beholding each other as enemies. We are one nation: Our differences in language, race, religion and economic power are just a flavour that makes living together interesting and worthwhile.
Understanding that religion can, and should be, the glue that holds our people together, representatives from ten religious institutions came together for a consultative meeting in April this year. During that meeting, we reflected on the issue of ethnic animosity and hatred in our nation that has in the past resulted in violent conflict. We unanimously agreed that there was an urgent need for healing and reconciliation in our nation, especially in this year of elections. This is moreso because of the divisive campaigns that were adopted during the November 2005 referendum on the Proposed New Constitution that left our people wounded, divided and distrusting.
The ten institutions in the meeting were:
- Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims
- Seventh Day Adventists
- Presbyterian Church of East Africa
- Organisation of African Instituted Churches
- National Council of Churches of Kenya
- MethodistChurch in Kenya
- Kenya Episcopal Conference
- Hindu Council of Kenya
- Evangelical Alliance of Kenya
- Anglican Church of Kenya
As religious leaders, and indeed as Kenyans, wWe consider it our divine duty to take action to correct the ills we find in our society. We cannot just sit back and complain, as this would be a denial of the power that we profess religion to wield over the lives of people. In this regard, we have organized and implemented various activities over the last six months aimed at facilitating peace in our nation especially during this time of elections. Some of these activities are:
One, in mid April, a delegation from the religious community visited the Mt. Elgon area to empathise with the many people who were experiencing debilitating suffering as a result of violent disagreements over land. It is lamentable that the conflict in that areas is still ongoing. While we appreciate that you, Your Excellency, visited the area recently, we urge that the government moves speedily to guarantee every citizen that they are safe and free within their motherland.
Two, the ten institutions established a technical team that has developed a strategy for implementing a campaign to promote a peaceful, fair and secure electoral process. This launch of the Chagua Amani Zuia Noma campaign that we are participating in today is part of the activities planned by the technical team. We shall inform you of other activities as time ripens.
Three, the religious leaders entered a partnership with other stakeholders who themselves were having campaigns for peaceful elections. With invaluable support from the United Nations Development Programme, the religious leaders came together with the Youth, Women, Media, Business Community, and Civil Societies to form a wider campaign now known as Chagua Amani Zuia Noma. We are thankful for this partnership, as it reflects the diversity, and unity, of our nation.
Four, the religious leaders organized a prayer breakfast for political party leaders to promote a peaceful, fair and secure electoral process. We recognize and appreciate all the political parties that have signed the Peace Charter and call upon the others to do the same. Politicians in the past have been accused of hiring people, especially the youth, to engage in violence as a strategy for defeating their opponents. If all parties sign the charter, we believe these cases will be greatly reduced, if not totally eradicated.
Five, the representatives of each sector of the partnership embraced the responsibility of reaching others of their sector and encourage them to commit to ensuring there is peace in the country during this electioneering period. We together developed and signed peace charters that affirm our pledges to be instruments of peace wherever we are.
Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen. The citizens of Kenya love peace. We patiently survived the dark days of human rights violation and political oppression, not because we were too docile to resist, but because we loved peace so much we preferred to seek peaceful resolutions of the problems. That is why today we are celebrating the peace and freedom we have fought for and gained. It is not acceptable for anyone, whatever their political or religious affiliations, to engage in activities that threaten the peace and security of our people. Recognizing the crucial role played by the government in provision of security and protection of peace, we envision an electioneering period during which all those engaging in such activities will be dealt with speedily in accordance to the law. The recent cases of violence during campaign meetings are deplorable, moreso because the government has not taken any remedial action. Your Excellency, if the government is not seen as acting on such cases, other people will behave similarly with impunity.
We thank you, Your Excellency, for acceding to our request that you express the commitment of the government to provision of security and peace to all Kenyans by signing the Peace Charter and lighting the peace torch. In the past, there have been complaints that incidences of law breaking reported to the polices have not been acted upon. We request that you instruct all the security officers to respond speedily and visibly to concerns raised by the people so that the credibility of your commitment will not be eroded.
Your Excellency, we await eagerly to see, through action, the commitment of the government to a peaceful, fair and secure electoral process.
I do note that leaders of religious organizations, and representatives from the sectors represented in this partnership, have already signed their peace charters. We request all Kenyans to sign the Citizen’s Peace Charter and commit themselves to abide by it. I especially congratulate all the politicians and aspirants who have signed the Peace Charter and have adopted the Campaign slogan: Chagua Amani Zuia Noma. Let us all refuse to be used by any person to cause conflict and violence. Above all, no politician should imagine that he has a right to kill those that he or she is seeking to lead.
In conclusion, allow me to appreciate all the partners who have given this campaign financial and logistical support. May we all dwell in peace, unity and security, knowing that we have each made a fair contribution to attainment of this protection.
Once again, I welcome you all to this inter religious prayer service.
May God Almighty grant peace to our land and nation.
Thank you.
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