MULTI SECTORAL FORUM

Securing Elections 2017

UPHOLD PEACE AS YOU WAIT

PRESS STATEMENT

PREAMBLE

Religious leaders from different faiths, meeting under the Multi Sectoral Forum, have met today
at Ufungamano House to review the status of the nation. During this consultation, we joined in
praying for the country using the words recorded in Psalms 86: 1 4

Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted
to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

We appeal to faith leaders across the country to convene for prayer, fellowship and to intervene
where necessary to secure our country. In addition, we share the following message:

1. STATUS OF THE NATION

During this meeting, the religious leaders evaluated the continuing developments in the electoral
process and made note of the following developments so far:

a) Kenyans across the country exercised their democratic right by voting peacefully and
leaving the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to do its work of
counting, tallying and declaring the results
b) As far as our observers noted, votes cast were counted and results announced at the
polling stations

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 c) The IEBC has been streaming results on its website as received through the electronic
devices from the polling stations
d) One of the candidates for the presidential poll, Rt Hon Raila Odinga, has publicly rejected
the results being streamed by IEBC, insisting that the IEBC servers were hacked to
manipulate the results. He urged that the results should be verified with the Form 34 a
e) The IEBC responded by indicating that the streamed results were provisional pending
reception of the Form 34 b from all constituencies. In the meantime, they have put in place
a process for the Political Party agents to verify the results by comparing what was
streamed and the scanned polling station results
f) The updates from the IEBC indicate a slow process of receiving the Constituency level
results, contained in Form 34 b. It is appreciable that the results in Form 34 b are the
official results as was declared by the High Court
g) The country remains anxious as the citizenry await the announcement of the final
Presidential Poll results

2. MOVING FORWARD

Having considered these developments, we recommend the following to move the nation forward:

a) We call upon all Kenyans to remain calm and peaceful, and resume day to day operations,
appreciating that elections are important but must not be an end of life
b) We call upon the agents of the political parties to actively participate in the process of
verifying the results contained in the Form 34 a
c) We call upon any interested stakeholders to seek access to the verification exercise so
that they can assess for themselves whether the results are accurate and accountable.
We urge the IEBC to grant access to such requests
d) We call upon the Returning Officers to appreciate the anxiety in the country and endeavour
to provide any support necessary for the remaining polling stations to complete their
processes and submit results to facilitate preparation of all the Form 34 b leading to
finalization and declaration of the presidential poll results

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 e) We call upon the leadership of all political parties to continue upholding the rule of law by
encouraging supporters to remain calm and peaceful as the concerns raised with regard
to the results are addressed by the IEBC
f) We call upon the leadership of all political parties, depending on who is finally declared
winner, to be magnanimous and sensitive, recognizing that there is a very large part of the
nation that will be emotionally affected by the outcome and who will need assurance that
the final results do not in any way impair their rights to access services and opportunities
provided by the government.
g) Whereas we appeal for a quick completion of the tallying and declaration of results by the
IEBC, we ask Kenyans to be patient and allow the IEBC to complete the exercise with
accuracy. They are still within their seven days time limit.

We especially call upon the security agencies to execute their mandate of ensuring peace and
security in the country in a humane and restrained manner.

On our part, we remain committed to reaching out to the leaders of both NASA and Jubilee Party
for consultations so as to promote peace in the country during this period.

CONCLUSION

The religious leaders urge all Kenyans to remain calm and patient during the this period so as to
give the IEBC and political parties time to verify the results. This is critical as it will enable us have
an electoral outcome that is legal, legitimate and acceptable to all.
We pray that God will fill the heart of every Kenyan with peace and joy.

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Signed on this 10th day of August 2017 at Ufungamano House, Nairobi.

Institution Name Signature

Evangelical Alliance of
Kenya

Hindu Council of Kenya

Kenya Conference of Catholic

Bishops

National Council of Churches

of Kenya

National Muslim Leaders

Forum

Organisation of African
Instituted Churches

Seventh Day Adventist

Supreme Council of Kenya

Muslims

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