PEACE

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has called on leaders not to use the current constitutional debate to settle political scores.

He said the constitution is not for any political party or meant for any single individual gain but an all-inclusive approach towards better governance.

The Vice President told leaders to mind their speeches so as not to polarize the country a head of the constitutional referendum.

The Vice President made the remarks Sunday while addressing a congregation after attending a church service at Africa Inland Church (AIC) Lang'ata here in Nairobi.

The sermon was delivered by Rev. Peter Ngule, the presiding pastor of the church.

Kalonzo at the same time called on Kenyans to nurture the spirit of understanding one another.

"Lets not go for each other's political jugular under the pretext of constitutional debate", he said.

The Vice President expressed hope that the forth coming referendum will be a peaceful one, adding that the country cannot afford to go the 2005 referendum way which polarized the country politically.

"Trends of hate campaigns were beginning to emerge and this should stop lest the country goes through the 2005 polarizing referendum", he said.

Kalonzo said the country cannot afford a church - state confrontation and asked those disparaging the clergy to desist from it.

The Vice President called on the church to pray for the country as it goes through this unique moment of constitution making.

Meanwhile, Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti has urged the church and state to find a way out of the deadlock on the draft constitution that has pitted the church against the latter.

Speaking at a fundraiser at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kakamega, Prof. Saitoti observed that the two contentious issues on abortion and Kadhi's courts were not sufficient enough to cause the state and the church to disagree.

"The church and state need to co-exist because you have an important role as well as we do," stated the minister.

He recalled how tortuous the journey to the production of the proposed draft constitution has been and urged those opposed to it to reconsider their stance since, according to him, the draft was the best the country could afford.

"We promised Kenya people in 1992 that we would embark on the process of delivering a new constitution before 1997 but ended up with the IPPG again with a promise," Saitoti recalled, adding, "In 2002 we did not and the excuse was that it was a period of transition."

The minister urged dissenting voices not to polarize the country as it happened during the 2005 plebiscite.

"Let us find the most elegant way of skinning the cat but not let Kenyans miss this opportunity to vote for the draft," he pleaded.