Jubilee condemns political violence, says free speech be protected

Jubilee condemns political violence, says free speech be protected

The Jubilee Party has condemned acts of violence experienced recently during campaign rallies.

In a press statement, Jubilee Party Secretary General, Raphael Tuju, stated that for democracy to function well, people must be ensured of their safety and freedom to attend rallies in order to engage with the political campaign.

“Free speech must be ruthlessly protected, acts of deliberate disruption, and in particular, violence must be stopped,” said Tuju.

“The Jubilee Party is not blind to the clear connection between the deliberate erosion of public trust in the integrity of our elections and our independent bodies, and the culminating frustration of supporters manifesting in incidents of violence.”

He further noted that “constant peddling of conspiracy theories, allegations that the elections are going to be rigged, attacks against the IEBC and claims that various organs of government are working in favour of one political party” are designed to raise tensions through the propagation of distrust.

The Jubilee Party reiterated it respects the independence of institutions such as the IEBC and will give them space and time to work effectively.

It further said that President Uhuru Kenyatta had stated on repeated occasions that he will accept the result of the ballot.

“We urgently implore that Raila Odinga and the other NASA co-principals to prioritize public interest over and above their own political ambitions, and desist from stoking suspicions against Kenya’s electoral system in order to claim victory by undermining the credibility of the ballot.”

“NASA leaders should publicly profess their support for the IEBC and focus their campaign on their vision and policies for Kenya. This is what the people of Kenya deserve,” added Tuju.

Jubilee noted that the media and international observers also have a responsibility to encourage all political actors to respect the independence of the institutions responsible for conducting accountable and credible elections and urge politicians to cease deliberate inflammation of tensions that could have disastrous consequences.

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