Clergy to Kenyans: Stop trolling Raila, Uhuru over poll loss

The clergy have called on Kenyans to use social media platforms to preach peace as opposed to trolling and undermining its leaders.

Speaking during Sunday service, All Saints Cathedral Provost, Dr Sammy Wainaina said Kenyans have used social media as a tool to mock leaders that lost the elections, instead of empathizing and treating them with respect.

“All our leaders deserve honour and respect. If we fail as Kenyans to show this, then where are we headed? If we look at social media after the elections, the kind of things we say to our leaders is sad. We are losing a nation's fabric through the misuse of these online platforms. It is my prayers that we shall be graceful in our wins and understand that defeat, especially on elections, isn’t pegged on personalities,” said Dr Wainaina.

He explained that President Uhuru Kenyatta and Azimio One Kenya Presidential candidate Raila Odinga have been heckled on social media by users who seem unaware that elections are a democratic exercise and not pegged on personalities.

“Elections are at the core of our democracy and losing one doesn’t means the leaders are failures. We cannot have winners without losers. Mr  Odinga requires respect. He is our leader. He may not be the incoming president but he deserves respect. What select Kenyans have been doing and saying towards him on social media is unfortunate and I urge them to stop. When someone has been wounded, don’t hurt him more,” said Dr Wainaina.

“President Uhuru Kenyatta equally remains our leader, even if his candidate lost the elections. He may not have been perfect to some,  but he doesn’t serve heckling or insult. Those two leaders require respect and honour,” he added.

Dr Wainaina further asked those who will be attending Dr Ruto inauguration on Tuesday to be graceful towards President Kenyatta as he hands over to his deputy. 

"Any small heckling would be distasteful and disastrous to us all. We just want President Kenyatta to be accorded the respect he deserves and to retire in peace. Those who have lost require love," he said.

He also asked incoming President William Ruto to be gracious in his leadership, and to ensure that he unites the country to allow those who lost to heal.

“Our prayer for incoming President William Ruto is that he will be a president for all. We shall pray for him so that we shall be United,” said Dr Wainaina.

The call comes just a week after members of the clergy  asked the president elect to forgive and embrace leaders that did not support his presidential ambition.

The religious leaders iurged Dr Ruto to focus on uniting the country after a highly contested General Election that saw Kenya split into two factions.

Led by Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Archbishop Martin Kivuva, the leaders also hailed Kenyans for maintaining peace and urged the incoming administration to resolve problems facing wananchi.

“We thank all Kenyans for the democratic maturity that they have manifested by actively and peacefully participating in this year’s general elections. To the President-elect, be a symbol of national unity and inspire confidence in Kenyans,” Archbishop Kivuva said.