Kepher Otieno

Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archibishop Dr Jackson ole Sapit yesterday reiterated the need for equitable redistribution of the national revenue in the country.

Sapit aid revenue should be shared equitably among the national and counties to avert protests witnessed after each General Election cycle.

“We want the State to bake a big cake that everyone will have a fair share come the next 2022 elections so that there is peace in the country,” he said

While rooting for peaceful transitional elections, Sapit called for the equitable sharing and redistribution of the state’s economic resources to ensure fairness and peace.

Economic power sharing, he said, should be part of the broader political negotiations to end conflict and promote sustainable peace and progress.

Sapit spoke during the 4th Anglican Church Development Services Peace Symposium at a Kisumu hotel.

“Our immediate task now as the Clergy is to prevent greater polarisation between the religious and established political parties ahead of  the 2022 polls,” he said.

“Justice should be served to all citizens in an equitable manner,” Sapit said, arguing the reason Kenyans fight after General Elections is the skewed sharing arrangement witnessed in the voting pattern outcomes.

“We will not have peace. So let’s find how we can equitably share our national resources to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor,” the cleric stated.

This will ensure the country fosters a culture of dialogue to allow the different political parties and interest groups address social and economic challenges.

“Again it will reduce risks destabilising the smooth political transition to a more democratic and an all-inclusive process, like we have seen,’’ he said

National Cohesion and Integration Commission chair Rev Dr Samwel Kobia agreed the major cause of electoral conflict in Kenya was the structural inequalities in the distribution of economic and political resources.

“These inequalities are not only embedded in the institutions but also manifested through historical injustices, which should be addressed,” he said. 

He was responding to concerns raised by Bishop David Kodia of Bondo Diocese and Godfrey Mwanjulu of Taita Taveta.