Residents of Garissa County have been urged to maintain peace, unity and national cohesion as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election.
The call was made during a peace-building training workshop for religious leaders organized by the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) at a hotel in Garissa.
Speaking at the event, Sheikh Abdillahi Salat emphasized the critical role religious leaders must play in promoting reconciliation before, during and after the elections. He noted that faith leaders have a responsibility to foster dialogue and unity between election winners and losers to prevent political differences from escalating into conflict.
“Religious leaders have a duty to preach peace and reconciliation to everyone, regardless of the election outcome. We must work together to ensure our communities remain united,” Sheikh Salat said.
He urged religious leaders to actively engage their congregations in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence as the country heads into the election period.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohamed cautioned young people against allowing themselves to be manipulated by politicians seeking to incite violence or ethnic divisions for political gain.
He warned that some politicians exploit unemployed youth to cause unrest during election periods, urging young people to reject hate speech and instead become ambassadors of peace within their communities.
The Chairperson of the Garissa County Pastors’ Fellowship, Pastor John Mwaura, commended the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya for organizing the training, saying it would equip religious leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to spread messages of peace in churches, mosques and other places of worship.
Pastor Mwaura noted that religious institutions remain influential platforms for promoting national unity and encouraging citizens to reject divisive politics.
He also called on women to take a leading role in educating children and young people about the importance of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and rejecting ethnic hatred.
According to Pastor Mwaura, mothers play a unique role in shaping the values of future generations and can help build a society founded on unity, love and respect for diversity.
Also speaking at the event, Esther Musyoka urged residents of Garissa and Kenyans across the country to reject ethnic discrimination and refuse to be used by politicians to spread hatred and division.
She appealed to mothers nationwide to use their influence within families to instill values of peace and tolerance in children, helping prevent a repeat of the election-related violence witnessed in previous electoral cycles.
“Mothers spend a significant amount of time with their children at home. They have an important opportunity to teach them the values of love, unity and respect for people from different communities,” Musyoka said.
Participants at the workshop agreed that religious leaders, parents, youth and the wider community all have a shared responsibility to ensure that the 2027 General Election is conducted peacefully, free from ethnic conflict, political violence and hate speech.
