Nairobi, Kenya, Feb 14, 2018 / 17:09 pm
Kenya's government has shut down several TV stations after the leader of an opposition political party declared himself the "people's president" in January. The country's bishops condemned the actions of both parties and insisted on the importance of free speech and respect for law and order.
"As a Church whose mandate is to promote justice and peace, we are categorically concerned with acts of both the government and the opposition that are unconstitutional and a bridge to law and order," the bishops wrote in a Feb. 2 statement.
The situation follows a disputed August 2017 election. President Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected Aug. 11, but it was nullified and a new election was ordered by the Supreme Court, which said the vote wasn't transparent.
Raila Odinga, Kenyatta's challenger, boycotted the October re-run, claiming it would also be neither free nor fair, and Kenyatta won overwhelmingly, with only 39 percent turnout.