The warnings are stark: Kenya is hurtling towards bloody political and electoral violence, which Prime Cabinet Secretary and Minster for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi wants averted before it consumes the entire country.

Since June 24, 2024, at least 300 people have been killed, disappeared or maimed during confrontations with police in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Nyeri and Nakuru towns, according to Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) data.

Mudavadi revisited the 42 days of mayhem and bloodletting as a result of the 2007 post-election violence that claimed 1,133 lives and displaced more than 600,000 people – some of whom have not been resettled to date – from their homes.

In a survey published on June 17, Kofi Annan Foundation “up to 40 per cent of elections are marred by some degree of violence”

Looking back, Mudavadi warns that unless swift action is not taken by the security apparatus, Kenya risks sliding back into the 20007-2008 post-election violence and this time the violence is likely to be deadlier than the chaos of more than nearly 20 years ago.

The prime cabinet secretary, who represented President William Ruto at the 21^st Association of Member Episcopal Conference in East Africa (AMECEA) plenary assembly in Nairobi, appealed on young people to refrain from being bribed to cause havoc and mayhem in the country during election period.

He highlighted the need to embrace peace and security within the region as conflicts within African continent continues to thrive and claim many lives. He said that through war in the Horn of Africa over 20 million families have been displaced with a further 118 million children out of school due to conflict and climate change emergencies, citing the UN Report of June 2026.

“In Sudan alone according to the United Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) Report, 14 million people have been mass displaced since 2023 when war erupted and half of the schools within the country are not operational forcing 13 million children out of school due to the mass displacement and this has become the World largest displacement crisis ever,” he noted.

He gave the example of the situation in Soth Sudan, which he said has put the future of the entire generation at risk as the country’s humanitarian crisis demanding a sustainable collection action. He said Kenya commends the plenary assembly since its establishment in 1961as the episcopal board of East Africa for its timely focus on social, political, pastoral realities affecting East Africa. 

He lauded the plenary for focusing on the youths, mentorship, peace building and governance that reinforces their collective efforts to empower the young people, promote good governance and advance peace and security within the region.

He called on the Catholic Church bishops to be on the forefront in advocating for peace and harmony within their countries as conflicts in Africa continues to claim lives.

“I encourage the church join in the continued mobilisation of greater international attention to the plight of the Sudanese people especially children and we pay our special tribute to the late his Holiness Pope Francis for his personal commitment to advance peace and reconciliation in the war torn country.  

Musalia lauded the Catholic Church for remaining a trusted actor in peace building across Africa with its notable peace efforts in the democratic republic of Congo (DRC).

“In doing so, the church perpetuates message of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:27 (Peace I live with you and my peace I give you) and this goes from a mere absence of conflict to a deeper reconciliation, unity and hope to our county’s social economic development including schools, hospitals, tertiary colleges and institutions of higher learning,” he observed.

The minister said good governance was important as it sustains peace and advances equitable development where equitable development strengthens peace and governance.

He pointed out that Kenya’s President William Ruto has continued to spearhead equitable development across the country to champion regional peace and security and to place young people at the heart of the government priorities.

“We welcome the focus of the 2026 plenary assembly on youth mentorship as it reflects our convergence of purpose to empower the young people across the region to secure shared intergenerational prosperity”

Musalia hinted that the Kenyan government has continued to empower young people through book investment in education, skills development, entrepreneurship and job creation with key initiative being the Ksh20 billion National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) projects implemented in partnership with the World Bank.

The Nyota projects target to uplift over 800,000 young people through business grants, digital, training, apprenticeships and organised savings under the national social security fund (NSSF).

Kenyan government is investing heavily in youth and education as they are the voice, energy and future of the continent and their participation is a commitment to making a positive contribution to society besides inspiring their innovation as their actions promote peace hence the need for them to remain morally responsible.

The prime cabinet secretary revealed that despite Kenya recording a substantial decline in HIV infection, young people aged 15-34 years, still accounts to almost half of all the new infections.

Mudavadi said it was time the young people refrained from violence, divisive politics and tribalism as elections will come and go but the country’s national unity, stability and future must be endured for generations to come.

“Effective democracy extends beyond elections to the delivery of tangible results by the elected leaders and a recent survey by the new generation networks reveal that majority of young people across the African continent assess democracy not only electoral cycles but also by strong institutions, accountability, the rule of law, economic equity, fight against corruption, rejection of unconstitutional changes of government and meaningful improvements in people’s lives,” he said.

He encouraged the youths to embrace digital technology to become our champions in artificial intelligence (AI) innovations but cautioned them against misusing the social platforms.

“Kindly as you navigate to the world of digital literacy, learn to exercise social media safeguards rather than jeopardising opportunities such as scholarships, visas and employment and as a foreign minister I am seeing an increase of young people being denied opportunities due to undesirable content on their social platforms” he cautioned.

He said Kenya appreciates the timely message of Pope Leo the 14^th on safeguarding humans promoting the dignity of work, social justice and peace during this era of artificial intelligence and Kenya looks forward with working with his Holiness in advancing shared values.  

Mudavadi challenged the young people to quantify the economic value of peace citing the ongoing crisis in Middle East and Europe has led cities becoming ghosts towns due to the wars the people have fled.

He reminded the young people of how they spent 42 days at Serena Hotel in Nairobi brokering peace after the country’s darkest moment of the 2007 post -election violence through the chairmanship of the late Kofi Anan, Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel calling on the youths to avoid bloodshed, reform and build their nation.

The leader said the church remains the a valuable party in diplomacy with Sessional Paper of No.1 of 2025 on Kenya’s foreign policy recognizes religious organisations as they partners in advance the country’s foreign policy objectives. To this effect, he noted, Kenya has established a resident mission with President Ruto appointing a practising Catholic as the 1^st ambassador.

He said Kenya’s partnership to the Catholic Church remains strong from the highest levels of leadership to parishes across the country and continuous to be committed with its apostolic mission of building bridges of community hope, justice and good governance for the benefit of the nation region and humanity.

It is time the church plays its huge foot printing the region by opening the back channels, which is a very powerful tool in diplomacy where it will bring the two warring and conflicting parties to sit under one roof on the same table and stop the violence, we rely and depend on you as a church and we cannot operate without you as we are conjoined at the hip hence we just have to work together” he paused.        

In his opening remarks, the Chair of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia, noted that AMECEA is alive with the experiences of the people in its member countries, saying that their joys are our joys and their challenges are shared as well.

He emphasised the need to anchor the assembly’s reflections and the aspirations of the people in a hope that never dies. The Chairman of AMECEA, Bishop Charles Kasonde, echoed the significance of Kenya as a place of peace and dialogue, while renewing the call to care for the youth and to strengthen a shared commitment to peace, justice and good governance in our nations.

• A Tell Media report / By Isaiah Wakhungu Andanje