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November 2, 2012 The Honourable Kenneth Marende Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Kenya Parliament Buildings P.O. Box 41842 – 00100 Nairobi Kenya
Dear Mr. Speaker, We are writing in our capacity as Co-Chairs of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association to assure you of our ongoing support in your efforts to ensure free, fair and peaceful general elections in March 2013. The world was stunned at the violence that gripped Kenya in the aftermath of the 2007 general elections. At that time, our Association wrote to you indicating the role that parliamentarians can play in promoting the peaceful conduct of the election process. We encouraged you to speak out, and appreciated your efforts towards a resolution that allowed the coalition government to begin its work. In its subsequent investigation, the Kriegler Commission suggested reforms to the Kenyan electoral process. Many human rights groups indicated the organized nature of much of the violence and pointed to the role of senior politicians and of officials in the use of local grievances to fuel violence for political ends. Indeed, the International Criminal Court is proceeding with actions to hold those responsible to account. During our January 2012 visit to the Republic of Kenya, our Association was pleased to observe the measures implemented by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to avoid a repeat of electoral violence in Kenya. We hope that these efforts will not be compromised, and we continue to support the efforts made so far by Kenyan authorities toward this end. However, recent incidents of deadly violence in Kenya, and suggestions in the press and by MPs, indicate the possibility of further clashes as the next general election approaches. We understand that an MP has introduced a motion in the Kenyan Parliament asking for army intervention to quell violent activity. The role of parliamentarians in promoting non-violent political campaigning and democratic elections is critical. The Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association is therefore renewing its offer of assistance during this next Parliamentarian election process. We call upon your good offices to urge all Kenyan Parliamentarians to exercise every means at their disposal to help establish the necessary conditions to ensure that the 2013 general elections are able to proceed without resort to unacceptable action or violence. We believe the success of the upcoming elections will be an extremely important landmark in Kenya’s democratic evolution. We are confident that, through your leadership, the National Assembly can exercise its important and responsible role on behalf of the citizens of Kenya. Yours truly,
Co-Chairs c.c.: His
Excellency Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of Kenya
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