By John Mugendi
A lobby group has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to avoid imposing to Kenyans any presidential candidate in the next year’s General Elections.
Addressing journalists in Chuka town, Tharaka Nithi County Dialogue Reference Group that draws its members from the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Ameru Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders and Maendeleo ya Wanawake said Kenyans should be allowed to exercise their democratic rights by choosing the person they want to lead the country.
The lobby’s county chapter chairman, Rev Silas Wamugunda said Uhuru should be free to hand over the country’s mantle of leadership to any person that Kenyans deem fit to lead them.
“President should let Kenyans decide on the person they want to take over the country’s leadership and not to try to impose anyone,” said Rev Wamugunda.
The lobby group also lauded the popular handshake between Uhuru and opposition leader Raila Odinga noting that it had brought peace to the country but said all leaders should be included in the deal.
Wamugunda noted that it’s wise for the Head of State to reconcile with his deputy, Dr William Ruto as even the country approached the electioneering period.
He also called for adequate funding of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in order to smoothly run the election process.
He noted that there is low turnout in the ongoing enhanced voter registration exercise and asked IEBC to improve on publicity and increase registration clerks.
The lobby expressed disappointment with the country’s appetite for loans and asked President to stop borrowing.
“The heavyweight of the foreign commercial loans has become unbearable to Kenyans lives,” he said.
