Foreign envoys to Kenya have refuted claims they endorsed a particular candidate after the August 8 polls.
In a message on Thursday, the twelve ambassadors said they did not endorse any candidate nor did they ask any of them to concede.
“At no time did we endorse or prefer any candidate or party. We never asked any candidate to concede. Instead, we encouraged candidates with complaints to go to the courts in accordance with Kenya’s Constitution, and we publicly welcomed their decision to do so,” read the statement as quoted by the Star.
It was signed by among others, envoys from the US, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Ireland and Sweden.
The envoys called on Kenyans and political leaders to maintain peace as the country readies for repeat polls on October 17.
They said every Kenyan has a right to support a candidate of his/her choice and warned against violence, voter intimidation and murder.
“We are deeply troubled by the murder of Chris Msando and the deaths and injuries we have seen in recent weeks.”
“Kenyans have a right to peaceful protest and no one should use or call for violence. We strongly urge the security services to avoid using excessive force and to protect lives and property,” added the Ambassadors in the statement.
The envoys also warned against improper use social media platforms ahead of the repeat elections
“The coming presidential election also faces risks from fake news. While fake news is a global phenomenon, its impact in Kenya is increasingly prominent and negative. Fake news peddlers deliberately endanger their fellow citizens by playing to fears and stoking tensions. We should all seek authoritative clarification before spreading fake news further.”
By Pharis Kinyua. He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News.