Beyond the Ballot: Religious Leaders Challenge Kenyans to Protect Peace Ahead of 2027

As Kenya heads towards the 2027 General Election, religious leaders have challenged citizens to reject the politics of division and protect the country’s peace, warning that the responsibility for credible polls cannot be left to electoral institutions alone.

Speaking during the closing session of a National Stakeholders’ Convention, Itaka Momwe, representing the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, said elections should be viewed as more than a contest for political power.

He said they should provide an opportunity for the country to renew its commitment to justice, accountability, human dignity, constitutionalism and the common good.

Momwe said the conduct of every Kenyan would be as important as the work of institutions mandated to manage the elections.

“Your vote is your voice and your responsibility,” he said, urging citizens to vote wisely without allowing ethnicity, religion or political affiliation to dictate their choices.

He challenged religious leaders to take an active role in safeguarding the democratic process by becoming voices of truth, peace, justice and reconciliation.

He urged them to reject hate speech, tribalism, incitement and political violence, while speaking out whenever citizens’ rights are threatened or constitutional principles undermined.

Momwe also cautioned against the exploitation of religion for partisan political interests, saying faith communities must remain spaces for dialogue rather than political division.

The religious leaders pledged to strengthen civic and voter education, promote dialogue across political and social divides and provide spaces for reconciliation before, during and after the elections.

But it was Kenya’s youth who received one of the strongest appeals.

Momwe urged young people to resist attempts to turn them into instruments of political violence, instead challenging them to use their energy, creativity and voices to shape a peaceful and democratic future.

“Let us work together to ensure that young Kenyans become agents of peace, responsible citizens and democratic transformation,” he said.

He also called on political actors to put the interests of Kenya above personal, ethnic and partisan ambitions.

For Momwe, the stakes extend beyond the ballot box.

He asked every institution, religious community, political actor and citizen to confront two questions: What can I do to ensure the 2027 elections are democratic, credible and peaceful? And how can I begin making a difference at family level?

Those questions, he suggested, must translate into action—not just promises made as election day approaches.

The message from the convention was therefore not simply a call for Kenyans to avoid violence on polling day. It was a challenge to change the political culture that often turns elections into contests of identity, hostility and survival.

The true test of 2027, Momwe reminded the country, will not only be who wins the election. It will be whether Kenya can compete politically without tearing itself apart.

“The Kenya we hand over to our children will be determined by how we conduct ourselves today,” he said.

And that may be the most important choice facing the country—not merely who to elect, but what kind of Kenya to leave behind.