Raila blasts church leaders for failing to act on injustices in the society
Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga has made a scathing attack on the Church over what he described as its failure to act firmly against injustices in society.
Mr Odinga who was addressing the congregation at Nyamira Anglican Church at Kang’o Kajaramogi in Bondo said the church had failed to speak out against injustices.
“The church should be the conscience of society. The church should act firmly against injustices. Am not giving blanket criticism against the church, but we have seen for example church leaders associating themselves with injustices of our country,” said Mr Odinga.
Mr Odinga revisited the August 9 presidential polls saying what was witnessed at Bomas on August 15 when the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chair Wafula Chebukati announced the presidential results was shameful.
“We saw the church standing in front of the cameras trying to sanitise a very flawed process. We have seen some churches being turned into platforms for political agitations and campaigns. On Sundays, political leadership going to churches supposedly to pray, once the service is over they take over the church platform to vilify and insult some Kenyans and we have seen clergy sitting behind and cheering,” added Mr Odinga.
The former premier said the church should not be used as a political platform.
“We never go to church to play politics. The top leadership of this country has taken to church platforms to shout at us, telling us the government has done this and that. The government programmes are implemented in government offices or political platforms and not in the churches,” he said.
Mr Odinga singled out the Anglican Church of Kenya over political agitation.
“We were saddened to see the leadership of the Anglican Church getting involved in the political agitation, asking politicians particularly those from Azimio who had petitioned the outcome of the election because of rigging that they must withdraw the petition in the interest of unity and went ahead to put pressure on the elders from some communities to say that if those who had rejected the results don't withdraw the challenge, they will be cursed," said Mr Odings.
The ODM leader told his supporters that he will next month give directions on the next move his coalition will make.
This comes after the appellate Judge Aggrey Muchelule-led tribunal is probing the four Independent Electoral Commission (IEBC) commissioners, who walked out shortly before Dr William Ruto was declared the fifth president elect.
The tribunal probing the four electoral officials was formed by President Ruto after the National Assembly endorsed their removal as IEBC commissioners.
Three commissioners have since resigned leaving Ms Irene Masit to face the tribunal.
The tribunal’s mandate will be to consider the petition for the removal of the four IEBC commissioners and to inquire into the allegations.
Commissioner Justus Nyang’aya was the first to quit and was followed by the Commission’s Vice Chair Juliana Cherera and Commissioner Francis Wanderi.
The commissioners famously known as Cherera Four departed from the Bomas on the August 15 citing opaque nature of voter tallying.
The IEBC boss Chebukati and two other commissioners are set to exit the electoral body in January after presiding over two elections. BY DAILY NATION
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