President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to attend the Consecration of the Holy Oil at the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) Gakarara Church in Kandara, Murang’a County tomorrow.
The ceremony follows the end of wrangles at the church. President Kenyatta will be visiting Kandara for the second time since the 2019 burial of multi-party hero Charles Rubia.
County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo confirmed the Head of State’s visit, saying preparations have been made for the ceremony that is scheduled to start at 10am.
“Preparations have been made with the church members and other guests required to be seated early for the religious ceremony,” said Mr Ngumo.
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The ceremony comes after the leadership wrangles that had dominated the church were resolved following mediation brokered by Uhuru. Archbishop Samuel Muthuri is to preside over the ceremony assisted by Archbishops’ Julius Njoroge and Fredrick Wang’ombe. The trio previously fought for the church leadership.
On Tuesday, Kandara MP Alice Wahome said the President was ‘much welcome’ in her constituency. In her statement, the MP said given a platform, she will remind the president of the 2015 promise of Sh500 million allocation for building of the Bildad Kaggia Level Four Hospital.
“During the Sagana 1 meeting where MPs listed projects in their areas, I had included the hospital and a major tarmac road from Kaha-ini- Njira Inya-Gatitu- Kaburugi- Mugecha-Naaro and Kibereke which has not been worked on,” said the MP.
The visit also comes at the time the President continues to be deserted by his key allies in the region, the latest being National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi who has moved to Deputy President William Ruto’s camp.
Mr Muturi decamped last week, sparking a leadership row in the Democratic Party that is fielding him for the presidency.
But Jubilee Party vice chairman David Murathe, who is also from Murang’a, described the defection by Muturi as of no ‘much’ consequence, equating it to that of Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja “the two men who Uhuru helped build or salvage their political careers from nothing.”
“It is not a loss by any description. Muturi failed to get re-elected to his former parliamentary seat only for Uhuru to rescue him and make him number three in the country,” said Mr Murathe.