Church backs coalition
Church leaders have called on the Government to accept a power-sharing agreement to save the country from civil strife. Religious leaders in Mombasa, called on PNU to relax its hardline stand and accept the power-sharing deal as proposed by US President George Bush and the international community. Mombasa Catholic Bishop Boniface Lele called on PNU to understand that the US was making such demands because of its concerns for Kenya and the statement by Bush did not amount to interfering with the country’s internal affairs. “The Government should not take this proposal by the US President as direct interference in the running of our country. They are doing this because of their love for Kenya,” Lele said. He said the coming to Nairobi of US Secretary of State, Dr Condoleeza Rice, to support the Annan-led talks excited the church. “For the US to send her Secretary of State is a confirmation that we are an important country,” Lele said.
His Anglican Church counterpart, Bishop Julius Kalu, called on the negotiators to put the interest of the country above theirs. “As the church, we want our leaders to realise that the lives of more than 30 million Kenyans are at stake. We need a solution now,” Kalu said. He said the future of the country was in the hands of the political leaders and they must swallow their pride and agree on the power-sharing deal then review the Constitution to conform to the new development. “We must accommodate those who claim that their votes were stolen during the General Election. The only way to do so is to accept a power-sharing deal,” Kalu said. Muslims for Human rights supported the grand coalition proposal and called on both sides of the negotiating teams to support it.
East African Standard
Next entry: 'Secret army' preparing for war
Previous entry: Prosecute Kivuitu, AG told