Stop playing politics in churches, Raila tells Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza brigade
Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga on Sunday, January 8, asked Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders to stop what he termed as politicking in churches.
Speaking during a Sunday service at ACK Cathedral Church in Mombasa, Raila stated that leaders of the President William Ruto-led coalition had turned places of worship into a political battleground to push certain narratives against the opposition.
"We don't say politics in church. We come to church to pray and fellowship with fellow Christians. If we want to play politician we do it at rallies.
"But our opponents have turned churches into political battlegrounds. After service, they take to the podium to lecture us about this and that...No let the church be a place of worship. if you want to talk to us do it outside the church," Raila said.
At the same time, the former Prime Minister weighed in on claims that the previous administration was keen on denying President Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza brigade victory in the last general election.
Raila, who insists that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) led by Chairman Wafula Chebukati bungled the election, said he would reveal his side of the story on the intrigues that followed the declaration of President Ruto as the winner of the poll at the right time.
"Gospels according to Saints Chebukati, Cherera and Sapit are out, but there is still the gospel according to St. John and once it is out, it will show how everything was. Kenyans are saying that Baba is not talking, I will talk when St. John Speaks," Raila added.
The ODM party leader's remarks come days after President Ruto alleged that the military was roped in an election rigging scheme that was supposed to deny him the presidency in favour of Raila, who was his main opponent in the August 2022 election.
“The events of August 15th were horrible because even the military, a sacred institution, was roped into the scheme to sabotage the will of the people of Kenya because of the State capture menace,” Ruto said during an interview with the media on Wednesday night.
President Ruto stated that there were untold stories surrounding the announcement of the presidential results on August 15, 2022, that only the IEBC boss is in a position to tell.
The Head of State noted that he had gone slow on his promise to form a commission of inquiry to look into chaos witnessed at Bomas of Kenya during the announcement of the presidential results because he was prioritising other pressing matters.
“If Chebukati were to tell you the kind of hell he went through if the day a story of 15th August can be told, you will know why am delaying... now I have to balance between sorting out the economy or do I swing this big thing that will drain our energy," Ruto said.
Chebukati had, in a sworn affidavit filed in the Supreme Court during the hearing of the presidential petition filed by Raila, indicated that members of the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) warned him against declaring Ruto as President-elect.
Four commissioners including then IEBC Vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera who rejected results announced by Chebukati have since been suspended to pave way for a probe into their conduct.
