Kenya PM calls for end to poll violence

Written By:Judith Akolo/PMPS,    Posted: Sat, Dec 31, 2011

The PM said free and fair polls will instill confidence in the country's prospects Prime Minister Raila Odinga is calling on Kenyans to embrace a radical change in the conduct of politics and put an end to the cycle of violence that has come with elections after every five years since 1991. The PM in his New Year message said the country will never attain the much needed double digit economic growth necessary for job creation as long there is uncertainty during the elections. In his New Year message, Prime Minister Raila Odinga called on Kenyans to maintain peace even as the country goes into election mode in 2012, noting that among the most critical challenges the country faces in 2012 is ensuring campaigns and subsequent elections are conducted in an atmosphere that is free of scare mongering and ethnic-based competition that have led to violence in the past. Raila appealed to politicians not to reduce election campaigns to a contest or war between tribes or regions. The PM outlined sustained economic growth, increased investment in infrastructure, especially the take off of the Lamu Port construction, conservation of the water towers, resettlement of internally displaced persons, increased dam construction and water harvesting, putting more land under irrigation, containing corruption and ensuring free, fair and peaceful polls as among nation's priorities in 2012. The PM said one of the most critical challenges the country faces in 2012 is to ensure campaigns and subsequent elections are conducted in an atmosphere that is free of scare mongering and ethnic-based competition that have led to violence in the past. "Elections have become very disruptive in our country. We have seen periodic cycle of economic growth, followed by a period of slump and stagnation as campaigns set in with fear and uncertainty. In this period, economic activity slows down, growth stagnates, then election comes and full-blown violence reduces growth to zero and the new regime begins from scratch. We cannot continue running the economy this way. We must stop this cycle of failure in 2012," the PM said. Free, fair and transparent elections will instill confidence in the country's prospects and avoid the cycle witnessed in past polls, the PM said. "Elections must be seen as civilized contests, not wars. There will always be Kenya after elections," the PM said. Saying the 2012 elections are historic because they will be the first under the new constitution and will involve picking more leaders than in the past, the PM appealed to the IEBC to embark on massive education to voters. He called on politicians to help IEBC by avoiding mobilization on tribal lines. The PM appealed to Kenyans to prepare for vigorous environmental conservation work, saying efforts to conserve the country's water towers particularly the Mau, are bearing fruits. He said the cycle of drought and flooding, caused by the phenomenon of climate change, will be with the country for years to come and must not be taken for granted as it could wipe out all the economic gains the country is making. Mr Odinga pledged more effort in construction of dams to control floods, store water for crops and animals and save families from perennial destruction. The PM also pledged more effort in irrigated agriculture saying reliance on rains is no longer sustainable. He called on agencies charged with tackling emergencies to work with worst case scenario in mind, saying there could be drought or floods, depending on how the weather turns out. Both scenarios would call for mobilization of resources to the places where they are needed. The PM said that other than increasing the country's capacity to handle cargo and therefore remain competitive, the development of the Lamu Port will play an even more critical role of opening up Northern Kenya which has suffered extreme marginalization since independence. The PM called on Kenyans to prepare to tackle whatever stands on their way to big dreams in 2012. He called for continued moral support and prayers for the soldiers fighting Al Shabaab in Somalia. "We have been through tough times these past four years. We continue to go through tough times. We may go through even tougher times this coming year. But we must continue believing in ourselves. Let us rise as one nation and make 2012 the year in which we restored Kenya's place on the globe and secured our nation's future for our children," Mr Odinga said.