South Sudanese Citizens Urge Kenyans To Vote Peacefully

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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Speaking to Gurtong in regard to the Kenyan election, Jonglei State Assembly Speaker Peter Chol Wal said that both Kenya and South Sudan enjoy a better relationship.

“I think with South Sudan and Kenya have a very strong relationship and this relationship had started in the 1990s as you know so far Kenya is the country where Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in 2005 to end the long civil war between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A),” Chol Wal said.

Wal said Kenya had accommodated South Sudanese during the civil wars and that most of the young people from South Sudan got educated in Kenya.

He said after the independent of South Sudan, Kenyan citizens were the first people who came and help South Sudanese in technical areas for the support of the development of the country.

“All the supply we got in the country was coming from East Africa and they are still doing their support. I think you know that we have signed the memorandum of understanding of using the Lamu port between Kenya and South Sudan will create interest between the two countries in the long term,” he said.

He said that the incoming president will be elected by the people of Kenya and it is hoped that the good relationship will continue with the new administration.

Wal said that citizens of Kenya shall set and evaluate their good president to lead them into the future.

He said Kenyans living in South Sudan are getting good treatment and are hosted well by the government of South Sudan.

Duk County member of the peace desk commission, Samuel Ador Thon said that if Kenya does not apply peaceful democratic procedures through their election, the people of South Sudan will be much affected.

He said that most of the schools will not be progressive and the road network will not be possible to foreign travellers crossing through Kenya.

Today’s vote will be one of the most closely watched in Africa after a tense campaign that has divided the nation and raised fears of a repeat of the bloodshed that followed disputed 2007 elections.

More than 1,200 people died in ethnic violence in 2007 the victory of incumbent president Mwai Kibaki was disputed.

Kenya and South Sudan enjoy warm and cordial relations with deep historical ties.

The Kenyan Ambassador to the Republic Of South Sudan, Cleland Leshore said that his will also be the first time in Kenya electoral history that the citizens will be voting using the newly modified electoral system in a more elaborate electoral process being conducted by the new Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission of Kenya (IEBC).

The General Elections will consist of six ballots to elect the President and Deputy President; Senator for each of the 47 Counties; Members of the National Assembly for 290 Constituencies; Woman Representative for each of the 47 Counties; Governor and Deputy Governor of each of the 47 Counties; and County Representative for the 1450 County Assembly Wards.

There will be 24,614 Polling Stations.

The impact of Kenya’s General Election in the region can never be overemphasized. Kenya is well aware of its strategic importance in the Eastern and Central African region, and the stability of the country after the 4th March 2013 elections will be vital for the entire region economic development.

“The Government of Kenya is therefore committed to ensure peaceful, democratic and credible elections. There is also no doubt that future elections in neighboring countries and the region will borrow in large measure from the Kenyan Elections,” said the Kenyan Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan, Cleland Leshore in a Statement.

Although the Kenya Constitution and electoral laws allow eligible Kenyans living Abroad to vote, only Kenyan living in EAC countries were registered to vote. This was because of limitation of resources and time constrains.

The IEBC plans to progressively register eligible Kenyan voters in Diaspora to enable them vote for Presidential Candidates in the subsequent elections.