Debate On Cohesion In Kenya Superficial: Canon Karanja
President Uhuru Kenyatta and CORD leader Raila Odinga cannot preside over the much talked about national dialogue to resolve salient issues affecting the country. In an interview on Ntv’s AM Live, The National Council of Churches of Kenya General Secretary Reverend Cannon Peter Karanja said that Uhuru and Raila are political competitors hence cannot achieve much should the process be left to them.
Canon Karanja pointed out that such discussions must be driven by independent institutions and non state actors with no vested political interests. He added that the president and the former Prime Minister should only participate if they are committed to such discussions. “When the Hon Raila speaks out, he shuts out President Uhuru’s political constituency, the same applies to the president. They should therefore support structures to create dialogue where they are only participants”, he said.
Canon Karanja who was interviewed by Ntv’s Debarl Ainea observed that debate on issues of cohesion in the country was quite superficial. “When we engaged with ethnic community representatives in the country, we realized that their issues are very genuine and deep. These issues must be resolved. Issues of land, economic development are all conflicting. They cannot be resolved easily but we must start to engage and put in place structures that address these issues”, said Canon Karanja. He faulted political players in the country for using their respective ethnic communities as their command groups.
He said that NCCK was ready to continue with dialogue amongst Kenyan ethnic communities adding that the Council and other stakeholders will soon engage Counties with common issues aimed at creating cohesion and integration.
Canon Karanja’s remarks came just 2 weeks after the launch of County forums following the recent highly successful Pamoja Conference on national cohesion and integration. The conference that was presided over by President Kenyatta, brought together close to 300 delegates comprising community leaders from across the country, cohesion experts and heads of various institutions in the country. The conference was a culmination of 6 years of intra and inter ethnic dialogue forums that helped bridge ethnic among various communities following the 2007/2008 Post Election Violence. Canon Karanja called on other stakeholders to join the initiative aimed at creating safe spaces for various communities in the country to dialogue and address the issues that have hitherto set them apart. The Pamoja conference was organized by NCCK in partnership with the Inter Religious Council of Kenya(IRCK), National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), and the Danish embassy in Kenya.
