Eldoret: Islamic religious leaders in Uasin Gishu County have urged the youth to shun away from unlawful protests that lead to loss of property, severe injuries, and loss of life. Speaking in Eldoret amid fears over the famous Saba Saba protests to mark July 7, 1990, a pivotal date in Kenya's struggle for multi-party democracy, the clerics led by the Council of Imams Chairperson, Sheikh Abubakar Bini, underscored the role of religious leaders being at the frontline in terms of preaching peace, cohesion, and integration in the country.
According to Kenya News Agency, the clerics raised concern over the violent protests like the June 25 one, which led to the loss of property and lives. They emphasized the need to pursue peace for national development. 'There is nothing more valuable in the world than peace; any country with no peace has no future,' said Sheikh Bini.
The clerics expressed displeasure that the famous day was once for veteran politicians but now involves Gen Zs, noting that the country is seemingly heading in the wrong direction. 'As our children have become highly desperate, as we go to mark Saba Saba, our opinion is that people should stay peaceful and carry on with daily activities that contribute to nation building,' Sheikh Bini added.
He discouraged the youth from participating in the alleged Saba Saba protests, which he said will cripple daily activities like schools, businesses, and transport, among other sectors. 'This means we are causing fear in the country; there is no other way to seek solutions to our issues apart from peaceful dialogue, and in this way people should volunteer to cultivate peace and integration before things go wrong,' he continued.
The clerics called on the security officers to conduct their duties diligently while upholding the provisions of the law as they seek to restore calm among the demonstrating crowds. 'We urge our youth to demonstrate peacefully, not destroying other people's property, which they made through their hard work to help them earn wealth to support livelihoods,' noted the Sheikh.