Tana River voters have been urged to elect visionary leaders with unquestionable integrity for the county to develop with only 35 days remaining before the general election.
Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a programme dubbed Kenya Electoral Conflicts Mitigation and Civic/Voter Education Support (ECCES) conducted a community dialogue forum in Hola.
“Today we are here in Hola to hold a meeting with young people and women as well as the IEBC to inspire young people and women so that they can elect moral leaders who will run this county peacefully,” Ogle Abdi, MUHURI Field Officer said.
He went on: “We also aim to sensitize the youth to maintain peace and security especially as elections approach because Tana River has a bad history when elections approach. We lost many people in 2012, while in 2017 some rumours and riots contributed to conflict, and chaos.”
Abdi encouraged the youth to maintain peace and elect leaders with integrity and not look at issues of ethnicity, religion, race, and even friendship.
Pastor Richard Osoro of Pentecostal Assembly of God (P.A.G) church, speaking at the same function, said religious leaders are at the forefront preaching peace to the congregants.
“As we come to the election epoch, we educate worshippers to choose the best leaders who will focus on peace and those who care about the interests of the people,” said Pastor Osoro.
He further added: “We have emphasized and continue to insist on peace for Kenyans to stick together so that Kenya can be more peaceful. We have been praying that the elections will be peaceful and I have high hopes that it is peace and development that we want in Kenya.”