Clerics to meet Uhuru and Raila separately

Religious leaders are next week scheduled to separately meet President Uhuru Kenyatta and CORD leader Raila Odinga in a bid to calm heightened political temperatures.

The clergy from mainstream churches will seek to mediate the national dialogue dispute.

Yesterday, the Church leaders called off a scheduled press conference at the last minute to give way for the planned meetings with Uhuru and Raila.

Although the clerics did not state exactly when they would meet the President and the former premier, sources indicate that they might hold the talks early next week since Raila has been busy with campaigns in the Bonchari by-election. Raila was in Bonchari yesterday campaigning for ODM’s John Oroo.

Members of the clergy want the political class to cease making inflammatory statements that may cause ethnic tension among communities.

The church leaders are mainly drawn from the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of Kenya, the Full Gospel Churches, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the Africa Inland Church, the Methodist Church and Baptist Church.

Meanwhile, some political and church leaders in Kakamega County want CORD to suspend rallies. CORD is scheduled to hold a rally in Kakamega tomorrow. Mumias West MP Johnson Naika (ODM) asked Raila to select a delegation to meet President Kenyatta at State House to discuss their agenda instead of issuing ultimatums.