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Leaders from Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim, and civil society groups met in Nairobi on 4 April.
Initially, demonstrations caused a lot of anxiety among Christians who were waiting to celebrate Easter. The leaders hailed the president and the opposition leader “for hearing the plea of Kenyans and [agreeing] to sit and engage in consultations.
“It is unfortunate that so much blood of Kenyans had to be shed and so many properties destroyed before the voice of reason (could) prevail,” said Roman Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde, chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, reading in part, a statement of the leaders to journalists.
Musonde, the archbishop of Mombasa; Rt. Rev. Thegu Mutahi, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa; and Sheikh Muhdhar Khitamy from the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims read parts of the statement.
On 2 March, Ruto extended an olive branch to Odinga, prompting the latter to call off the twice weekly protests. He had offered a bipartisan parliamentary approach to tackling the disputes. Odinga accepted the offer, but promised more mass protests if the talks failed.
In the approach, parties will form a joint select committee, which will consult on the issues of concern. The religious leaders hope the committee’s mandate will include tackling poverty, inequality, and unemployment; ensure dignified livelihoods; consolidate national cohesion and unity; and combat insecurity, among other concerns.
Odinga started leading the protests on 20 March, demanding that the government tackle the rising cost of living, ascertain the winner of the last presidential vote, and form an inclusive government, among other demands.
Although Odinga said the protests would be peaceful, Christian and Muslim leaders got alarmed when the demonstrations turned violent with youths clashing with the police. A number of people were killed, and property destroyed or looted.
On 27 March, the demonstrations ended with the burning of a Presbyterian church and a mosque in Kibera, Africa’s largest informal settlement.
“While we welcome the gesture of peace by our leaders, we share our deep condolences with all families that were bereaved by the deaths that occurred during the days of mass action. We pray that God will grant you consolation and peace,” said Mutahi. “We are also praying for speedy healing and recovery for all those who were injured…robbed and all those who lost their possessions and businesses.”
While telling the citizens that all are affected by the rising cost of living and the economic state of the nation, the leaders urged the people to remain hopeful and work hard to adapt to the changing socioeconomic and climate conditions.
“We must also continually demand that our leaders, both in government and in the opposition, listen to us so that we together seek and implement viable solutions to our problems. In this way, we will treasure and safeguard our peace and democracy and protect our lives and those of our future generations,” said Khitamy.
