Things seem to have quietened down in Kenya now, which is good. Only .... (ONLY ??) about 100 people killed before, during or after the elections in riots and disturbancies. It seems that the party of Raila Odinga have lodged a case in court to have the election results looked at, which, (being very sceptical !) I don't think will find anything untoward. But its much better than violence, and life seems to be returning to more or less normal in the country.
The catholic Tablet magazine had the following article:-
KENYA BISHOPS 'APPLAUD' ODINGA'S DECISION TO CHALLENGE ELECTION RESULT IN SUPREME COURT 21 August 2017 by Rose Gamble
Kenyan opposition coalition the National Super Alliance (NASA) filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging Kenyatta's re-election
Kenya’s
bishops have said that they “applaud” the opposition party’s
decision to challenge the contested election result in the country’s
Supreme Court rather than calling for demonstrations.
“Concerning
the recent contested Presidential election results, our stand as
your shepherds has been very clear: all the aggrieved parties should
use the legal means as provided for in the Constitution to seek
redress,” write the country’s bishops in a statement released on
17 August.
Lawyers
representing Kenyan opposition coalition the National Super Alliance
(NASA) filed a petition on Friday (18 August) with the Supreme Court
challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election.
Raila
Odinga, NASA’s 72-year-old presidential candidate, has rejected the
electoral commission's results which say Kenyatta won by roughly 1.4
million votes, with 54 per cent of the vote. Odinga claims the
election was rigged in favour of Kenyatta through the hacking and
manipulation of the electronic vote-counting system. He has not yet
provided proof of discrepancies but has said he will do so in court.
Twenty-four
people are reported to have died in violence protests since the
election on 8 August.
In
their statement, the bishops strongly condemn post-election violence,
urging state security and police to respond to protests with
restraint.
“Dear
Kenyans, to lose even one life because of elections is abominable,”
writes chairman of the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop
Philip Anyolo.
“This
must never be allowed in any civilized society like Kenya. It is
imperative upon all State Agents of security and indeed all peace
loving Kenyans, to exercise civility and restraint in responding to
disputes and protests,” the statement continues.
Accordingly,
the bishops praise Odinga’s decision to move to the judiciary
rather than encouraging his supporters to protest.
"It
is only by respecting and having recourse to the established
Constitutional institutions that we, as Kenyans, are able to enhance
and strengthen the rule of law and the democratic process in our
Country," they write.
Widespread
violence broke out in 2007 when Odinga called for demonstrations
following the election results. Around 1,200 people died in the
unrest.
In
2013, Odinga also contested – and officially lost – an election,
but quelled potential violence by taking his case to court. Judges
eventually ruled that much of his evidence was being submitted
outside time limits set by the court, frustrating his supporters and
sparking suspicion over the judiciary’s independence.
In
their statement the bishops call for the judiciary to discharge their
mandate justly, “in a fair and impartial manner” and urge them
not to “give in to any form of coercion or intimidation”.
As
the country waits for the determination of the disputed election the
bishops urge their government, starting with President Kenyatta,
to “take the lead in uniting the country.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Other amazing and wonderful news I spotted is that the rare bongo antelope, which is on the verge of extinction in Kenya, and is now in protected reserves, has at last started to recover numbers with the birth in the reserve of four new calves.
Searching online for a decent picture of one, I was horrified to see so many pictures of this very beautiful animal, dead, with a grinning hunter beside it. I cannot understand the mentality of people who want to shoot such rare and amazing animals. What's wrong with a camera ?
I saw a bongo once, a fleeting glimpse in their natural forest habitat high in the Aberdare mountains, when I stayed overnight in a lodge there with my mother, and unfortunately, have no photo of my own !
No comments:
Post a Comment